Matters of the Heart
by skye5052
Summary: LUMI: A surprise attack outside of Tuscany during Roman and Kate's wedding leaves Sami fighting for her life and forces Lucas to confront his true feelings for the mother of his son
1. Chapter 1

**Matters of the Heart **

**Chapter One**

"Dammit, Lucas," she seethed under her breath, glaring through the door at the Christmas tree that now obstructed her view of what was going on inside Tuscany. "I'm going to kill you."

How dare he gag her and drag her out of her own father's wedding? She had every right to object to this unholy union taking place, and he knew it. His mother was the devil; there was no other explanation for the hideous and vile evil that was Kate Roberts.

_How could you be so blind, Dad?_ she thought bitterly. _Marrying the woman who tried to murder your own daughter?_

And not just once, but several times at that!

To be fair, Sami knew that her father didn't know the whole story of what Kate had done to her, but what he did know should have been enough to convince him that the woman he was about to marry was not fit to be his wife.

The only thing she was fit to be was in a jail cell.

_And if I have my way,_ Sami thought with a scowl. _That's exactly where you're going to end up, Katie-girl._

She had waited years for the chance to get revenge on Kate Roberts, so did it really come a surprise to anyone that she had been willing to frame the woman for the serial killings? Her father had been disgusted and disappointed in her, but what else was new? Besides, it was worth it to make Kate pay for what she had done.

Everyone kept saying that the past was the past, to let it go, but they weren't the ones who had suffered. They weren't the ones who still had nightmares about falling from cliffs, who had developed a fear of needles so strong that she couldn't even hold her own son's hand while he got a shot at the doctor's office without shaking.

No, she would never forgive Kate for what she had done to her. And as for Lucas... well, Lucas was complicated. For a long time all she had wanted was to hurt him, to make him feel the terror of what he'd put her through, to inflict the pain of his betrayal back tenfold. But over the past year that feeling had faded, and what it was replaced by was no less distressing, for she found that she actually enjoyed his company again.

And then, of course, there were the dreams and the kisses and the maddening almost-kisses...

"So not going there," she muttered to herself, rubbing her bare arms to try and keep warm. Something had changed between them over the past few months, there was no denying that, but she didn't have to like it. Never mind that she couldn't fight it, and wasn't even certain if she wanted to, she was never going to admit to the confusing new direction her feelings towards Lucas had taken recently.

Besides, he was the idiot that had locked her outside in the freezing cold without even thinking to grab her jacket off of the seat next to her. Would that have been so much to ask?

"This is ridiculous," she growled under her breath. "Are you trying to make me catch pneumonia, Lucas? It's like the arctic out here."

A noise from behind her interrupted her mutterings, and she started to turn around, half expecting to find Lucas coming out to gloat about his little stunt, when a pair of strong arms grabbed her from behind.

Stiffening, Sami twisted her upper-body around and stiffened in alarm when she found herself face-to-face with none other than the Salem Serial Killer.

A scream rose up inside of her, but a black-gloved hand slammed down over her mouth, muffling her cry. Cold terror washed over her and she struggled to get free, but the arms holding her were too strong, and all her efforts earned her was a sharp twist of her left arm which brought hot tears to the surface of her eyes.

Her heart was pounding so loud she wouldn't have been surprised if the killer could hear it, and yet at the same time it felt unreal. There was no way she was being attacked by the serial killer for the second time, no one was that unlucky, not even her.

But the grip on her arms was too painful not to be real, and she could feel the killer's hot breath against her neck as they struggled, and it was all she could do to swallow back a hysterical sob.

She had faced the killer once before, in the alley behind Salem Place, and she had managed to fight him or her off fairly well, but that had been when she thought that it was just Lucas trying to scare her. As soon as she had realized that it wasn't, that it was real, she had panicked.

Now, though, it was instinct that guided her elbow viscously into the killer's midsection, and the moment the grip on her arms loosened, she stumbled away from the killer. As soon as she regained her balance, she began to stagger forward, trying to put as much distance between herself and the killer as possible.

"Help!" she shrieked hoarsely. "God, somebody help me!"

There was no answer, of course, she hadn't really expected there to be. Even if they could hear her inside, they probably just thought she was making one last desperate attempt to stop the wedding taking place.

The killer caught her before she even made it ten feet. A strong hand grabbed her by the arm and spun her around roughly before flinging her back against the side of the building. Sami moaned, her shoulder blades slamming into the solid wall, and looked up to see the killer advancing, tossing a knife from hand to hand.

"Lucas!" she screamed, hoping against hope that he was still close enough to the door that he might hear her. "Lucas, help me!"

She tried to dodge out of the way when the killer lunged at her, using the wall for momentum, but her high heels made it difficult, and she let out a scream as the killer grabbed her from behind.

Once again a gloved hand clamped down over her mouth, but this time the killer made sure that her elbows were securely pinned at her sides. Sami's eyes widened in terror as she saw the knife flashing towards her, and she did the only thing she could do to avoid being stabbed right through the heart- she lifted one foot off the ground and slammed her high heel down onto the killer's foot with all of her might.

It was a risky move, one that probably saved her from falling to the ground dead right then and there, but it didn't come without a price. The killer's arm jerked downward, and the knife pierced through her black dress as it plunged into her stomach.

Cold anguish filled her belly, and she heard herself scream as the sharp, searing pain tore through her. She doubled over, clutching her abdomen, her knees nearly buckling from under her as the blood began to seep through her dress, staining her hands like crimson paint.

The faceless killer stepped back, holding a gleaming knife coated to the hilt in blood, and a swell of terror rose up in Sami, colder and fiercer than anything she had ever known before. This was worse than the lethal injection she had gotten when Kate framed her for Franco's murder, this was worse than falling off the cliff in Italy, this was worse than falling through the glass doors at the DiMera mansion.

All of those times, she had been able to turn to someone for help. Her family, even Carrie, had been there to support her at her execution, Brandon had been there to save her in Italy, Lucas had been there to take care of her after her throat had been slashed open...

But now she was alone, alone and freezing and bleeding to death with a crazed killer standing over her, while her family and friends, the people who claimed to love her, were inside celebrating.

"Help!" she rasped, every syllable she forced past her lips causing another bolt of pain to rip through her stomach. "Help me!"

It was no use, there was no help coming. Not her father, not her Uncle Bo, not even John. They had left her on the outside looking in, as always, and she was on her own. While she was fighting for her life, they were all inside welcoming the woman who had tried her hand at ending her life on more than one occasion. Not even Lucas would be coming to her rescue this time, because he was inside being happy for his mother.

They were all inside Tuscany, just past the wall behind her, but they might as well have been hundreds of miles away for all the good it was doing her now. Despite her determination not to let the killer see her despair, a cry of utter anguish escaped her lips, and the tears began to come harder than ever.

She was going to die just outside of a restaurant swarming with cops, an event that was supposed to have the security to keep its guests safe, and the irony of that fact was inescapable.

The bastard was smirking behind that mask, she just knew it.

And then, to her absolute disbelief, the killer looked away, as if he or she had just heard something. Straining her ears, Sami heard it, too, now, the sound of raised voices in the distance. A surge of hope swelled within her, for voices meant people, and people meant help. The voices were familiar, but her head was swimming, and she couldn't think straight enough to place them.

"Help me!" she shouted hoarsely, but it was too weak to be heard, and the killer's eyes darted back to her, burning with cold fury that sent a chill down her spine. The knife jerked towards her again, intent on silencing her, but somehow she managed to avoid the blade, and the voices were growing louder, as if they were drawing closer.

Despite the pain, and the lightheadedness that was threatening to consume her, Sami let her lips curve up in a faint smile of triumph. If the killer wasted time finishing her off, he or she would be caught, and they both knew it.

Glancing once more in the direction of the voices, the killer apparently decided self-preservation was more important, and began to backpedal towards the trees, that cold, merciless gaze locked on her own until the hooded figured disappeared into the woods.

A soft sob escaped Sami's lips, and she leaned back against the wall, her breath coming in labored gasps, as she tried to ignore the pain that was racking through her body. She felt weak, much weaker than she had only seconds before, and that frightened her, but not half as much as remembering the icy smugness in the killer's eyes as he or she made their retreat.

The killer, whoever it was under that mask, was confident that they would get another chance to finish the job.

And they had no reason not to be, after all, this was the second time that she had been attacked and the killer was making yet another clean getaway.

_Then again,_ a traitorous part of her mind whispered. _The job might already be finished anyway._

Until now, she had been going on adrenaline, fueled by the fight-or-flight reaction that her mother the psychologist was always talking about. Survival had been the only thing on her mind, and since fighting back had been the only way to stay alive that was exactly what she had done.

But now that the fighting was over, now that the killer was gone and the imminent danger no longer present, her strength was faltering. She was feeling weaker now, much weaker than she had been only moment before, and each breath of air that she gasped in felt labored and painful.

And she wondered if she wasn't going to be the killer's next victim despite all of her efforts to prevent it.

So many people close to her family had already been killed... Abe, her father's oldest and dearest friend. Jack, the father of Will's cousin Abby, and one of the few people she had considered a true friend. Maggie, who was not only Lucas' aunt, but his AA sponsor, as well. Her beloved grandmother Caroline, who had never turned her back on her, no matter how childish she acted.

And then there was Cassie.

Cassie, the half-sister that she had never really bothered to get to know. There hadn't been any great love lost between the two of them, in fact they had mostly been at odds with one another, but Sami regretted never making an effort with the younger girl. They'd had more in common than she wanted to admit, and sometimes she wondered if they might have one day been friends.

Of course, it was too late for that now.

Cassie was dead, and try as she might, Sami knew she would never get the image of her half-sister's bloody body falling from the piñata out of her head. It was one of those moments in life that just burned into your brain, every last horrifying detail perfectly captured and preserved to stand the test of time.

_Don't think about it, _she ordered herself. _Don't think about Cassie now, and definitely don't think about whether or not you're on your way to join her. You've survived worse than this, Sami. Remember Death Row? Remember falling off that cliff in Italy?_

Why on earth did she always end up fighting for her life, time and time again? It wasn't even a year ago that she had been in a similar state, after falling through the glass doors at the DiMera mansion. Her memory of that accident was hazy at best, but she distinctly remembered hearing Lucas telling her to fight, for their son.

_Oh, God,_ she thought, a wave of dread washing over her. _Will!_

Her son, her sweet little boy. She couldn't die, because he needed her. He had Lucas, but it wasn't enough, she knew that now, their son needed both his mother and his father. She knew what it was like to lose a parent, and she refused to let Will suffer that same grief.

Gritting her teeth, she pushed away from the wall, fighting back a scream as the muscles in her stomach cried out in protest. She closed her eyes for a moment, taking a few deep breaths to try and still the trembling that had seized her body, but it didn't help. Biting her lip to keep from sobbing, she forced herself to start forward, despite the crushing agony. The voices were coming from just around the corner ahead, if she could make it that far then everything would be okay.

Of course, given the fact that she was fighting off a bout of dizziness that threatened to drive to her knees, that was a pretty big if, but the thought of her son gave her the strength to keep going, keep trying.

Every step was agony, and she felt the tears spilling down her cheeks. The world around her blurred, sliding in and out of focus, and darkness began to close around the edges of her vision. It was taking all of her concentration to maintain movement of her legs as she stumbled forward, and she fumbled desperately for the solid wall of the building to support her weight as her shoes sunk into the snow.

She had the most ridiculous thought that wearing high heels in the snow was a bad idea, and if it hadn't hurt so badly she would have laughed. Lucas had told her as much on more than one occasion, and wouldn't he love to know that he had been right.

Not that she would have told him, admitting that Lucas Roberts was right was not an enjoyable task, at least not for her. Still, she would have been glad to see him right then, even if he did have that stupid smirk on his face. He would have taken care of her, he was good at that, and hadn't he promised right before Christmas not to let anything happen to her?

A surge of annoyance for her son's father hit her, and she cursed him for locking her out of Tuscany, but she decided she wouldn't blame him, not this time. He'd probably just promised to look after her for Will's sake, just like everything else he did.

Despite that, she couldn't help hoping that when she rounded the corner she would find Lucas waiting. Given the circumstances, she would have even been happy to see Kate, and the faraway part of her brain, the part that wasn't foggy and blurry, knew that was never a good sign.

Thankfully, somebody up there didn't completely hate her, because as she turned the corner her soon-to-be-stepmother was nowhere in sight. Maybe she really was about to die, and her dying wish was being granted, not having to see Kate's face ever again.

Instead, she was able to appreciate the irony of the moment, that of all people to stumble across for help, it was two people who she knew weren't terribly fond of her nowadays. Then again, that number seemed to be quite high lately.

Standing less than twenty feet away, arguing in hushed tones, were none other than Brady and Nicole, and at the moment neither of them looked very happy. Although, Nicole never looked very happy, anyway, and from the glossy look on her face, she was probably well on her way to being drunk.

"Nicole, what the hell is wrong with you!" Brady demanded angrily.

"Nothing a little champagne can't cure," Nicole replied, her shrill laughter reverberating inside Sami's head like a ping-pong ball, making her stumble a little as she fought off another overwhelming wave of dizziness.

Nicole was saying something else now, but Sami couldn't make it out. The world around her was starting to spin again, and she knew she wasn't going to be able to make it another step without fainting.

Grabbing onto the wall for balance, she closed her eyes for a moment, trying to conserve her energy, and then opened them again, taking a deep, quaky breath. "Brady," she rasped, her voice too faint to be heard, even to her own ears, so she swallowed hard, taking a ragged breath before trying again. "Bra-Brady..."

Her stepbrother glanced up in her direction, as if he thought he heard something but wasn't quite sure, and an expression of utter shock descended over his face when he caught sight of her. "Sami?" he said in disbelief.

Sami parted her lips to say something, anything, and tried to take a step towards him, but her legs had held out longer than they should have already, and the strain proved too much for her weakened body to take. Her knees buckled under her, and she crumpled to the snow in a heap.

The snow was only cold against her bare shoulders, legs and arms for a few seconds, and then she was past feeling it. Her own shallow breathing echoed around her, mocking her, as she stared up at starry night sky overhead. A spray of snow kicked up by Brady's shoes fell across her limp hand as he rushed to her side, kneeling down beside her, his blue eyes wide in alarm.

"Sami," he cried, his hand coming down to touch her cheek, but she could barely feel it. "Oh my God, Sami, what happened?"

Swallowing hard, she parted her lips, trying to speak, but nothing would come out, and a sharp convulsion of her stomach had her eyes rolling back in her head for a few seconds.

"She's probably faking it," Nicole's voice filled the air, and the other woman's face swam above her, blurry and indifferent.

"Nicole, shut up!" Brady snapped shortly. "I don't- Oh... oh my God..."

"What?" Nicole asked, the tone of her voice suddenly changing, as it took on a hint of anxiety. "What is it?"

"She's bleeding, Nicole," Brady yelled, his voice rising with urgency. "It looks like she's been stabbed. Quick, go get help! Lexie's inside, she's a doctor, she can help!"

"But Brady-"

"Just do it!" Brady demanded, and then he was leaning over her again, patting her cheek with one hand. "Sami, Sami, look at me," he instructed, using that voice of barely controlled panic that men always seemed to use when they were trying to keep it together and failing miserably. "Come on, Sami, you have to stay with me, okay? You've got to fight."

Her groggy mind found it amusing that Brady was showing such concern for her now, when they hardly tolerated each other most of the time anymore. He had been such a sweet little boy growing up, always smiling and laughing, and they had gotten along wonderfully back then.

But that was a long time ago, and everything was different now.

Besides, it wasn't Brady's fault, at least not entirely. She hadn't exactly been a very good stepsister to him in recent years, had she? She should apologize for that, shouldn't she?

Her stomach tightened in pain and she grimaced, dimly aware of the tears on her face, not knowing if they were hers or Brady's, or if they were even really there at all. She couldn't really feel much of anything anymore, and she licked her lips, trying to focus on Brady, because she needed to tell him... what was it she needed to tell him?

She was trying hard to remember, because she knew it was important, when she caught sight of something in the distance.

At first it was just a shadow, a silhouette moving in her direction, but as it got closer the shape began to take on human form. The figure seemed to glow, as if some soft light was shining from behind it, and as it came into focus, a long-forgotten ache stirred to life inside of her.

Dark tresses cascaded down the woman's shoulders in curls, her dark eyes sparkling with warmth, and she silently held out a hand, palm turned up invitingly.

"Isabella..." Sami murmured, her breath hitching as her eyelids began to flutter.

Above her, Brady stiffened, and she wanted to tell him, she wanted to ask him if he could see her, too, but she couldn't seem to keep her eyes open.

And as she gave in to the darkness washing over her, Brady's voice echoed in the nothingness around her, calling out her name.

The last thought she had before she lost consciousness was that she wished he'd be quiet, he was giving her a headache.


	2. Chapter 2

**Matters of the Heart**

**Chapter Two**

The main room of Tuscany had been transformed into the setting for a perfect wedding, but the ceremony taking place had not been without its problems.

No one could really say they were surprised by Sami Brady's attempt to object to the wedding, but Lucas and Shawn had taken care of that disruption with startling effectiveness. Shoving a napkin into Sami's mouth and carrying her out of the restaurant seemed a bit extreme to Mimi Lockhart, but she supposed it was the only thing the boys could think of to keep Sami from ruining Roman and Kate's special day.

Glancing over at Will Roberts, Mimi shook her head to herself. The poor kid obviously wasn't enjoying himself now that his father had essentially kicked his mother out of the ceremony; he kept looking back towards the front doors as if was expecting Sami to come back inside any moment now.

_This has got to be a confusing day for him, _Mimi mused._ His parents are about to become stepsiblings._

Beside her, her boyfriend Rex shifted in his chair, and she turned to give him a small smile of reassurance. She knew he wasn't entirely comfortable being here, but the bride and groom were his biological parents, and he would have regretted it if he hadn't come.

Rex gave her a weak smile in return, and then focused his attention back on the ceremony taking place in front of them. Taking his hand in hers, Mimi did the same, pushing her thoughts about Sami out of her mind for now.

"Roman?" the priest asked. "Do you have a token of your love?"

"Yes," Roman smiled, taking the ring between his thumb and forefinger. "I-"

A loud clatter from the front of the restaurant cut him off, and everyone turned to see Nicole Kiriakis staggering into the room, her face surprisingly ashen and pale for someone who was interrupting a wedding ceremony in a drunken stupor.

"Would someone get her out of here?" John Black demanded in disgust, and murmurs of agreement fluttered through the audience.

"I'll take care of it," Victor rose to his feet, shaking his head. "Kate, Roman," he said, directing an apologetic look up the aisle towards the bride and groom. "I'm terribly sorry. Please, continue."

With that he stalked out towards the lobby, grabbing Nicole by the arm and hissing something to her that Mimi couldn't hear, but she could imagine what he was saying to his wife at the moment.

"Er, uh, yes," the priest shifted, clearly unsettled that the ceremony had been interrupted not once, but twice. "Roman, I believe you wanted to say something here?"

"Right," Roman nodded, smiling at Kate. "This ring-"

"Sami needs help!" Nicole shouted, yet again cutting him off. Her voice was louder than usual, probably thanks to all of the alcohol she had consumed that evening, but there was something in her tone that struck Mimi as sincere.

"We all know that," Victor chuckled darkly, as he started to drag her out of the room.

"No, you don't understand," Nicole insisted, shaking her head as she tugged her arm free. "Brady and I were outside talking and-"

"I told you to stay away from Brady," Victor warned sharply, and Mimi instinctively looked over at Chloe, who was watching the scene with a frown on her face.

"Would you shut up?" Nicole demanded shrilly, swaying on her feet. "I'm trying to tell you people that Sami's outside bleeding to death, dammit!"

Now that got a reaction out of the crowd, even Victor seemed to pale a few shades at her announcement. Mimi grasped Rex's hand even tighter, looking over at him to see his reaction, even as she heard cries of dismay come from Belle and Marlena. Rex looked stunned, his face pale and eyes wide, and she couldn't blame him.

After all, it had only been that afternoon that they scattered his twin sister's ashes on the mountain, now his estranged half-sister had been attacked, too?

"What?" Lucas cried, on his feet so quickly his chair was nearly knocked over, an alarmed expression on his face. "Are you serious?"

"Yes," Nicole said, rolling her eyes in exasperation, clearly annoyed at having to keep explaining things to everyone. "Brady's out there trying to save her life, he sent me in here to get Lexie 'cause she's a doctor and-"

"Oh my God," Marlena wailed, collapsing against John. "My sweet girl!"

"Mom?" Will's frantic cry tore at Mimi's heart as the boy grabbed onto his father's arm desperately, his eyes wide in fright. "Dad, Mom can't be-"

"Will, I need you to stay here," Lucas said quickly, prying his son's hand away as he slipped past. He fell into step just behind Roman and Bo, who had already begun to run down the aisle towards the front doors.

"Pop, stay put," Bo Brady ordered over his shoulder, and Mimi glanced over at Shawn's grandfather, who had been about to get out of his chair. Mickey Horton put a restraining hand on the older man's shoulder, and Alice Horton started to say something to him, but Rex was already pulling Mimi down the aisle, so she didn't hear what it was.

They hurried outside with Shawn and Belle on their heels, heading in the direction of the shouting coming from around the corner.

From up ahead they heard Lucas' cry. "Sami? Oh God, Sami!"

Her name came from his lips sounding something like a prayer, a curse and a scream all at once, and Mimi felt her stomach drop. In the distance, she could see Roman dropping down beside Lucas in the snow as they bent over a figure sprawled on the ground. Brady Black was there, too, his tuxedo jacket suspiciously missing, saying something she couldn't make out to Roman and Lucas.

As they drew closer, Mimi stifled a gasp, her hand moving to her mouth. Her eyes stung with tears, and she felt Rex stiffen beside her.

Sami was lying there on the crimson snow, still as death, her golden hair fanned out around her head. Her creamy skin had gone ashen and pale, and her lips were already starting to turn blue. Lucas was kneeling beside her, hands flying across her face frantically, husky voice begging for her to show some sign of life.

"Oh my God," Belle wailed, stumbling when she caught sight of her sister. "Sami!"

Shawn caught her just as her knees buckled under her, and drew her into a fierce embrace, resting his chin on her head as she wept into his chest. Mimi swallowed, averting her eyes as Shawn's lower lip began to tremble slightly. Sometimes she forgot that Sami was Shawn's cousin, not just Belle's half-sister, it couldn't be easy for him to see her like that, either.

Brady looked up at them, this expression drawn, as he held what appeared to be a tuxedo jacket, his given the lack of one over his dress shirt, down over Sami's stomach. "She's clammy," he announced grimly, his voice strained. "I think she's going into shock."

"Brady," John demanded tersely, and only then did Mimi realize that he and Marlena had followed them, as well as half of the guests from the wedding. "What happened?"

"I don't know, Dad," Brady shook his head. "I don't know. She just... she came around the corner and called my name and... and she fell and..."

Pressing his lips together, John placed a hand on his son's shoulder and gave it a hard squeeze, averting his eyes from the sight of his stepdaughter. Mimi's heart ached for him, it had to be painful to see the woman he had loved as his own child in such a state, even if Sami did seem to hate him for the way he had broken up her family.

She looked around for Marlena, and found her clinging to Hope Brady, sobbing as she stared at her daughter. Hope was murmuring reassurances that didn't seem to be helping Marlena too much, but at least Marlena hadn't completely fallen apart yet.

Roman and Lucas each clutched one of Sami's hands in their own. "Come on, peanut," Roman was murmuring, his voice thick with emotion. "Come on, Sami, don't do this to me."

_On his wedding day, of all days,_ Mimi thought with a wave of sadness. _How could something like this happen?_

Hadn't the police decided to keep the security around the wedding despite Tony's arrest, just to be on the safe side? And why Sami, when Roman had been named the next victim? Was it because she was his daughter? Or maybe because she had escaped her confrontation with the killer behind Salem Place earlier?

_But Tony is in jail,_ she reminded herself. _He's locked away. So if it wasn't him, then who did this to Sami?_

"Mom?" a fragile little voice cried out, jolting Mimi out of her reverie, and she looked up to see Will Roberts pushing through the crowd, apparently having decided to ignore his father's order to stay inside. When he spotted Lucas, Roman and Brady hovering over Sami, he started to rush forward, but Kate caught him, holding him back. "Mom?" he called again, the panic rising in his voice. "Mommy?"

"Please," Lucas choked out, without looking up. "Mom, take him inside."

Wordlessly, Kate complied, taking her grandson by the arm, but Will shook her off angrily. "No," the boy shouted, tears streaming down his cheeks. "I'm not going anywhere until I know my Mom is okay!"

"Will, honey-" Kate began gently.

"Don't touch me!" he snarled, his eyes flashing like a petulant child a he once again tired to reach his mother.

"William," Lucas said sternly, his voice thick with barely contained emotion as he lifted his head to fix his son with a sharp look. "Go inside now."

"But Dad-"

"Will," Lucas rasped, pleadingly, and Mimi could have sworn that he was about to cry. "Please, buddy, I need you to go inside."

"Fine," Will half-yelled, half-sobbed. "It's all your fault Mom's hurt anyway!"

"Will!" Marlena and Kate both gasped in shock, but the boy just glared at them all before turning and fleeing into Tuscany, his broken sobs carrying through the chilly night air.

"He didn't mean it, sweetheart," Kate whispered consolingly to Lucas.

"Yes, he did," Lucas muttered, shaking his head as he looked back down at Sami, and this time Mimi was certain that he was crying. "And he's right. I locked her outside with a serial killer on the loose."

"You didn't know, baby," Kate soothed, coming forward to rub his back. "It's not your fault, either of you." She directed that last comment at both Lucas and Roman, and reached over to squeeze her almost-husband's hand. "Chloe is inside calling an ambulance, so don't worry, Sami's strong. She'll hold out until they get here, and they'll be able to help her."

Wordlessly, Roman looked up at his bride-to-be, eyes tortured with grief and anger. Kate seemed to know exactly how he felt, and leaned in to kiss him lightly on the lips. She then gave her son a kiss on the cheek, as well, gazing at them both sadly.

"I'm going to go inside and look after Will," she told them quietly. "He shouldn't be alone right now."

"Thank you," Lucas said quietly, not taking his eyes off of Sami, still stroking her hand with his thumb absently. "Come on, Sami," he whispered. "Don't give up. You've got to fight, Sami. Fight for our son."

"Where is Lexie?" Jennifer Deveraux asked anxiously. "I thought she was getting her medical bag from the car?"

"I'm here, I'm here," Lexie called out, and Mimi turned to see her pushing her way through the crowd, with her black bag in hand.

Tugging on Rex's hand, Mimi took a few steps to the right so that Lexie could pass, and she felt Rex's hands come to rest on her shoulders anxiously as they watched Dr. Carver set her bag down, pulling out a pair of latex gloves.

"Roman, Brady, Lucas," Lexie said briskly, slapping her gloves on as she dropped to her knees in the snow. "I need you to move so I can help Sami."

Roman immediately moved back and Brady settled back to sit down a few feet away, looking pale and exhausted as Chloe came to kneel behind him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders comfortingly. Lucas, however, didn't so much as bat an eyelash, just squeezing Sami's hand tighter in his as he brushed stray locks of hair away from her face.

Lexie stared at him for a moment, then seemed to decide it wasn't worth the effort to try and get him to leave Sami's side when it was clear he wasn't going to.

"Is this your jacket?" she asked, looking up at Brady as she removed the tuxedo jacket that was covering Sami's torso. Mimi felt queasy at the sight of how blood-soaked the black material was, and Rex's fingers dug into her shoulders so tightly she wondered if she would have bruises in the morning.

"Yes," Brady answered shakily. "I thought it might help slow the bleeding."

"Nice work," Lexie said curtly, leaning over to press her fingers against the side of Sami's neck. "I've got a pulse, but it's thready." She glanced over at Lucas again, as if she was going to ask him something, then looked up at Brady again instead. "Brady, I'm going to need your help here, okay?"

"Whatever you need," Brady agreed quickly, crawling back to Sami's side. "Just tell me what to do."

"Put these on," Lexie ordered briskly, handing him an extra pair of latex gloves before removing his jacket from Sami's stomach. "Everybody, get back, I need room to work."

They all took a step back, an eerie silence falling over the crowd, except for the sobbing coming from Belle and Marlena. Lexie took hold of the bloody hole in Sami's dress and ripped in opposite directions to get better access to the knife-wound, and for the first time those gathered got a good look at just how bad the injury really was.

"Oh God," Mimi breathed in horror.

Rex looked like he was about to be ill, and poor Belle and Marlena's sobbing grew even louder.

Lexie didn't waste time trying to wipe away the blood covering Sami's skin, but went right to work trying to assess how much damage had been done to what vital organs. Brady sat vigilantly at her side, awaiting further instructions, but he couldn't seem to tear his eyes away from the blood flowing from Sami's body.

"Rex," Mimi said softly, her voice quivering. "Maybe you should go stand with your Dad right now..."

Rex simply shook his head, staring at Sami, and Mimi wondered if he was seeing Cassie lying there, reliving the helplessness he had felt that day, when his sister's body had come tumbling out of the piñata at Salem Place. She was about to try again to get him to go to Roman, when John Black moved up beside Roman, laying a hand on the other man's shoulder.

"Samantha's a fighter, Roman," John said quietly, and there was just enough of a tremble in his voice to suggest that he was reeling from the same grief that Roman was. After all, he had been the one to raise Sami, the one to watch her grow up. "We have to believe she can beat this."

Roman nodded, clearly trying to keep himself from falling apart. Mimi's heart went out to him, and she wished that there was something she could do to take his mind off of his daughter's condition, even for just a moment.

Luckily just then Bo Brady appeared, his gun in hand. "Roman," he said grimly, approaching his brother with a dark look on his face. "I just got off the phone with Tek. DiMera's been released on bail. They had an undercover officer tailing him, but they lost him."

Rex's jaw clenched tightly, his eyes full of barely suppressed fury, and Mimi swallowed hard, giving him hand a weak squeeze since she didn't know what to say to make him feel better. Tony had been a father to Rex and Cassie, and learning that he had been the one to kill his twin sister had been a devastating blow for Rex.

"John, Bo, with me," Roman ordered sharply, pulling his gun from inside of his tuxedo jacket. "We're gonna find that son of a bitch."

"I'm coming with you," Rex insisted, lifting his jaw defiantly, daring Roman to say otherwise, but Roman just nodded curtly and gestured for Rex to follow as he started towards the bushes.

"So am I," Shawn added, moving away from Belle

"Shawn, no!" Belle cried, her eyes going wide as she tried to pull him back. "It's too dangerous!"

"Belle," Shawn said gently, but with little patience in his voice. "Stay with your Mom and Sami, alright? They need you right now. I'll be fine."

Seeing that Belle wanted to protest, Mimi laid a hand on her best friend's arm, stilling her words, and Belle watched tearfully as her boyfriend hurried after the others. "It'll be okay, Belle," Mimi whispered.

"How?" Belle demanded hoarsely, tears sliding down her red cheeks. "My sister is dying, and now my Dad and Shawn are off trying to chase down the killer! How is this okay?"

Not knowing what else to do, Mimi hugged her, and almost immediately Belle began to sob into her shoulder. Cupping the back of her friend's head, she craned her neck slightly to watch what Lexie was doing.

"Hold this on the wound," Lexie instructed Brady shortly, handing him what looked to be a sterilized towel. "Keep up the pressure, we need to try and slow the bleeding."

"Okay," Brady nodded, pressing the cloth onto Sami's stomach. "Anything else?"

"Just keep an eye on how much blood is seeping through," Lexie said, not bothering to look at him as she hunched over Sami's lifeless body, getting to work. "I'm going to try and find a pressure point so I can slow the blood flow to her wound."

Lexie shifted slightly so that her nimble gloved fingers could work from a better angle, and when she moved Mimi suddenly had a much better view of the puddle of blood that had begun to pool around Sami.

Her stomach twisting at the sight of all the blood, but unable to look away from the horrific scene before her, Mimi focused her gaze instead on Lucas as he hovered over the mother of his child. "Sami," she heard him pleading. "Sami, you have to fight. Don't you give up, you hear me? Don't you run out on us now. Will and I, we need you, sweetheart, so much. You..." he trailed off, a faint sob cracking through his words. "You've got to be around to help me out when Will starts getting into trouble, and when he needs help with his homework. You know I'm not good at that stuff, you're the smart one."

Closing her eyes, Mimi tried to keep the tears from flowing openly down her cheeks. If Sami died, then Will would grow up without his mother, and given how much the boy adored Sami, Mimi wasn't sure he could withstand losing her.

"Come on, Sami, you've got too much to live for, sweetheart," Lucas rasped, his voice catching on that last word. "You can't give up now. Not when Will needs you... not when I need you. And I do need you, Sami. I need you so much."

_He loves her,_ Mimi realized with surprise, opening her eyes to see his shoulders shaking with silent sobs as he stroked Sami's hair reverently. _Lucas is in love with Sami._ How strange, given the history between the two, but then again perhaps it wasn't strange at all.

It actually kind of made sense. It was the perfect ending to the roller-coaster saga of Sami and Lucas, and Mimi's heart broke for Rex's half-brother and sister.

How tragic it would be if they had made it through the ups and downs, curves and drop-offs of the past decade, only to lose one another just when they'd started to find each other.

"The ambulance is here," Chloe announced suddenly, but Mimi couldn't turn around to look without disturbing Belle, who was still crying into her arms, so she just continued to watch as Lexie did what she could for Sami and Lucas continued his soft urging for Sami to wake up.

A few moments later, a pair of paramedics were coming through the crowd with a stretcher. "What do we got, Dr. Carver?" the male medic called out.

"Puncture wound to the lower abdomen with severe hemorrhaging," Lexie replied grimly, rising to her feet and taking a step back so that they had room to put the stretcher down in the snow. "Possibly from the hepatic artery."

"We'll get her hooked up to an IV in the truck," the female medic said as they carefully lifted Sami onto the stretcher. "Do we know what her blood type is?"

"AB," Marlena answered hoarsely when Lexie looked in her direction.

"Rex is a match," Mimi offered suddenly, grateful to have remembered. "If you need blood..."

"Have him meet us at the hospital, then," Lexie said with a curt nod. "In case we need him for a transfusion."

"You riding with us, Dr. Carver?" the male medic asked.

"Yes," Lexie confirmed, gathering up her medical bag and glancing back at the crowd. "Only one other person can ride with us."

"I'm coming," Lucas said without hesitation, not even bothering to look at Marlena before stepping forward. He still hadn't taken his eyes off of Sami's pale face, and it didn't seem likely that he would anytime soon. "Tell my mother I'll call her from the hospital and let her know whether or not to bring Will down."

"I'll tell her, Lucas," Jennifer promised.

Mimi watched as they rushed Sami off to the ambulance, then gently maneuvered towards Marlena, who immediately reached for Belle. Relinquishing her friend, Mimi turned to Hope. "Have the boys found anything?" she asked, not sure what answer she wanted to hear.

Hope shook her head. "I don't think so, I haven't-"

"Mom!" Shawn's voice rang out, and they looked up to see him running towards them, a grim set to his handsome features.

"What is it?" Hope asked breathlessly. "What did you find?"

"You'll never believe who we found slinking around in the bushes," Shawn replied with a scowl.

"Tony?" Mimi asked, already knowing the answer, and her heart sunk.

Shawn nodded. "Uncle Roman, Dad and John have him handcuffed and one of the officers is getting a squad car to take him back to jail."

"Rex?" Mimi inquired nervously. "Where is he?"

"He's with my Dad," Shawn replied, then caught sight of Belle. "Excuse me," he said, and hurried to his girlfriend's side.

Mimi wrapped her arms around herself, feeling rather lost at the moment, without someone to anchor her down. The killings had been going on too long, they'd lost too many people already. But this... attacking someone at a wedding, of all places?

A few minutes later, she felt a hand touch her shoulder, and she turned to find Rex standing there. She looked up at him for a long moment, watching his lip quiver, observing the conflicting emotions swirling angrily in his eyes, and then she reached for him at the same moment he reached for her.

"It's okay," she murmured. "It's going to be okay."

"How?" Rex rasped, unwittingly echoing Belle's earlier question as he practically shook with fury. "How is it going to be okay? Cassie is dead and Sami probably is, too, just because Tony was released from jail... How is it going to be okay?"

Not having an answer, Mimi simply held him tighter, and prayed that Rex was wrong. He'd already lost one sister, he didn't need to lose another.


	3. Chapter 3

**Matters of the Heart**

**Chapter Three**

With a sigh, Bo Brady shoved his cell phone into his pocket and headed back into the waiting room of the hospital. Family and friends were scattered around the room, some lounging in the hard plastic chairs that lined the walls and others standing around anxiously, but all of them waiting for some news about Sami.

A stab of anger shot through him, and he shook his head in frustration. How had this happened? There had been at least a dozen police officers at Tuscany, and yet somehow the killer had still managed to attack his niece.

Bo's eyes scanned the room until he found his wife, and she lifted her head as he approached, still holding his father's hand. "How you doing, Pop?" he asked, looking the man who had raised him over worriedly.

"I'm alright," Shawn Brady Sr. said softly, his voice more frail than it had been at the start of the evening. Losing Caroline had been a devastating blow for him, but seeing his eldest son about to marry Kate had done wonders for his spirits.

Of course, the wedding hadn't exactly gone according to plan.

"Good," Bo nodded, reaching over to squeeze his shoulder. "Just keep hanging in there, okay? Things will work out."

Shawn Sr. nodded absently, and Hope patted his hand before rising to her feet and gesturing for Bo to follow her. They stepped off to the side, out of earshot, and she asked, "What did Tek say?"

"Nothing good," Bo said grimly, his expression dark as he recalled the phone call he'd just received a few minutes ago. "When Tony heard that Sami had been attacked, he finally agreed to take a blood test to see if his blood matched the blood we found on the crime scene after Roman shot the killer at the tree lot."

"And?" Hope asked anxiously.

"It wasn't a match," Bo replied through gritted teeth. "The DA says we can't hold him without some kind of proof that he was involved."

"Oh my God," Hope sighed. "How are we going to tell this to Roman?"

"I still think DiMera did it," Bo muttered. "I just don't know how."

"What if he didn't do it, though?" Hope asked seriously, her eyes widening in apprehension. "Then the killer is still out there."

Reluctantly, Bo gave a grim nod of agreement. "That's exactly what I'm afraid of," he confessed, and then looked around the room at the people gathered to find out whether or not Sami was going to make it.

Most of the guests had gone home shortly after the ambulance had left Tuscany, when Kate had made an announcement that the wedding would be postponed and rescheduled for a later date due to Sami's attack. Those who hadn't gone home had ended up at the hospital, still in their wedding garb, but with distinctly less cheer than an hour earlier.

Brady and Chloe were sitting together, leaning against each other for support, and Bo felt a stab of sympathy for Sami's stepbrother. He'd gotten a statement from both Brady and Nicole before leaving Tuscany, and Brady had been quite shaken up by what had happened to Sami.

His tuxedo shirt was still stained with her blood.

Bo found his son comforting Belle, as he'd expected, but there was a distant, troubled expression on Shawn's face that concerned him. Rex and Mimi were sitting with them, holding hands as Mimi rested her head on his shoulder. Bo couldn't see Rex's face, the boy had his head tilted back against the wall behind him, but he wondered what was going through the kid's head right about now. His twin sister had been the most recent victim, and for the longest time he had considered Tony to be his father.

_And Sami is his half-sister, too,_ Bo mused sadly. He had been a bit surprised when Rex had decided to come to the hospital, as far as he knew relations between Sami and Rex were strained at best, but then again Rex wasn't the only person usually not on good terms with Sami in the waiting room.

Lucas Roberts was sitting hunched over in his chair, his head in his hands, but every few minutes he would look up at the clock anxiously. Since he had ridden with Sami in the ambulance, he had been there waiting in the lobby when Bo and the others arrived, but he hadn't been able to give them any information. He'd lost sight of Sami when they wheeled her into the operating room, and no one had come out yet to tell him anything.

Kate's son had spent the past hour alternating between sitting silently in his chair, staring off at nothing, and pacing the lobby angrily. His sister Jennifer was sitting beside him now, having sent Abby home with Alice Horton for the evening so that she could be there to support Lucas.

And the surprising thing was, Lucas truly looked like he needed supporting, which was a bit startling in Bo's opinion. Despite the fact that they shared a child, Lucas and Sami hadn't exactly been on civil terms over the past few years, and they certainly hadn't missed a single opportunity to accuse each other of being the serial killer.

"Lucas is taking this pretty hard," Bo observed neutrally, not sure what to make of it all.

Hope glanced over at her cousin, and hesitated. "He and Sami have been getting along better lately," she finally replied. "I'm not sure what's going on with them, but they seem to be friends again, or at least back on the road to being friends."

"About time," Bo muttered, and he meant it. "They should have gotten their act together a long time ago, for Will's sake if nothing else. It's a miracle that kid has turned out as well as he has, given the turmoil he's grown up around."

"I don't know," Hope smiled faintly. "Lucas and Sami seem to have figured out the parenting thing, even if they're still struggling to grow up in every other aspect of their lives. They've raised a wonderful little boy."

Bo followed her gaze to where his great-nephew was leaning against his grandmother's shoulder, having finally cried himself to sleep. Kate was absently stroking his hair, nodding to something that Philip was saying, but her eyes were glued to Roman across the room.

Roman had been pacing the waiting room ever since their arrival at the hospital, only occasionally stopping to speak with Kate or Marlena or Will to reassure them that he was sure Sami would pull through just fine.

His brother looked tired, and suddenly much older than he had a few hours ago. Bo couldn't imagine what he was feeling right then, with his daughter laying on an operating table fighting for her life.

Bo wouldn't have traded places with him for the world.

As for Marlena, Sami's mother was leaning into John's embrace, crying onto her husband's shoulder, and it seemed to Bo that John was drawing on Marlena for just as much support as he was from him. Whatever issues John and Sami had with one another, the man had been, for all intensive purposes, Sami's father for a good chunk of her life, and he had loved her very much.

From what Bo was seeing now, it looked like he still did.

"Has there been any update about Sami?" Bo asked softly, turning his attention back to his wife.

"No," Hope shook her head with a sigh. "The doctors haven't told us anything yet. We think she's still in the operating room."

"God, what a nightmare," Bo groaned, running his hand through his hair. "Do you realize we had at least a dozen cops at Tuscany tonight? And it didn't do a damn bit of good, did it?"

"It's not your fault, Bo," Hope whispered soothingly. "You did everything you could to make the wedding safe. We did our best."

"Well, obviously our best wasn't good enough, now was it?" Bo demanded. "Or else my niece wouldn't be in there fighting for her life!"

Hope just rubbed his back silently, and in her eyes he saw an echo of the guilt he was wrestling with himself. It had been their jobs to keep the wedding, and the wedding guests, safe, and their efforts hadn't paid off in the least.

Not wanting to give her a chance to blame herself, Bo decided to change the subject. "Has anyone said anything about calling Eric and Carrie?" he inquired. "I know when Sami fell through the glass doors at the DiMera mansion Roman put it off as long as he could, but they have a right to know what happened to their sister."

"I don't think it's even crossed anyone's minds yet," Hope murmured. "Roman and Marlena are too devastated to think that far ahead, and John's not doing much better."

"Do you think we should call?" Bo asked hesitantly, not really wanting to be the one to break the news to his niece and nephew.

"I think we should wait and ask Roman what he wants us to do," Hope replied after a moment of thought. "This is probably something they need to hear from their father."

Bo nodded his agreement, and was about to say that he would go talk to his brother about it when the double doors to the emergency room opened and Lexie Carver stepped out, thoroughly exhausted and rubbing her temples with the tips of her fingers.

"Lexie," Marlena cried breathlessly, pulling away from John when she spotted the other woman. "How is she?"

"We managed to stop the bleeding," Lexie replied grimly. "The transfusion helped, we've got her stabilized now."

Instinctively, Bo glanced over at Rex, who was fidgeting with the bandage wrapped around his arm. Upon his arrival at the hospital, Lexie had taken Rex back into one of the examination rooms to draw blood, since he and Sami had the same blood type, and Rex had been eerily silent ever since, not really looking or listening to anything or anyone around him. Now, though, it was clear that he was listening to what Lexie was saying, even if his expression didn't reveal anything more than that.

"She lost a lot of blood," Lexie continued, and Bo turned his attention back to the doctor, listening intently. "She was lucky, though, the knife entered at a shallow angle, so the damage isn't as severe as we first thought."

"Then she's going to be okay, right?" Belle asked desperately, having come forward to stand with her parents, her tear-streaked cheeks glistening in the harsh white lights of the waiting room.

"The next twenty-four hours are going to be critical," Lexie answered carefully, and Bo's heart sunk. "She's still in serious condition, we could lose her at any time. If she wakes up on her own within the next day or so, then she should pull through."

"Should?" Lucas echoed, half-angry, half-disbelieving, and Bo looked over to see that he had gotten to his feet. Behind him, Will had woken up and was sitting at attention, watching the scene before him with wide, watering eyes, and Philip reached over to give his nephew's hair an affectionate ruffle.

"We've done all we can," Lexie said quietly. "I'm afraid the rest is up to Sami."

"Can we see her?" Marlena asked pleadingly. "Can we please... I need to see her."

Lexie nodded in understanding. "As soon as we get her into a recovery room, I'll send someone out to get you. She can't have many visitors tonight, though, so I'm afraid it will have to be immediate family only, and you'll have to go in two at a time, very briefly. Sami needs her rest right now, if she's going to have any chance of pulling through."

"Thank you," Roman said huskily, his voice thick with emotion.

Giving them one last encouraging smile, Lexie turned and headed back to the operating area, disappearing through the double doors.

With a tired sigh, Roman turned back to face those gathered in the waiting room. "It looks like it's going to be a long night, so I guess you all should head on home. There's nothing more you can do tonight."

"Are you sure, Roman?" John asked with a hesitant frown.

"Yeah," Roman nodded wearily. "We'll call you if there's any change. Go home and get some sleep, then come back in the morning."

"Mom?" Belle asked softly, moving to Marlena's side. "Mom, do you want me to stay and wait so that we can go home together after you see Sami?"

"No, that's okay, baby," Marlena shook her head, swallowing back tears. "You go on home with your father and Brady, alright? I'm not sure how long I'll be and..." she trailed off, choking back a stifled sob.

"Call us if you need anything," Brady told her, leaning over to give her a hug. "We'll be praying for Sami."

"Thank you," Marlena smiled tearfully.

As the population of the waiting room began to shrink, Bo turned to his wife. "Do you mind if we stick around for a few minutes? I want to see how Roman's holding up."

"Of course not," Hope assured him, rubbing his arm supportively. "You should be here for your brother, and I'm sure Marlena could use a shoulder to lean on right now, too."

"Yeah," Bo agreed with a sigh. "I'm going to say good-bye to Pop real quick."

He felt Hope fall into step behind him as he made his way across the waiting room to where his father and Mickey Horton were sitting. The two older men looked up as they approached, and Bo ran a hand through his hair wearily.

"Why don't you head on home, Pop?" he urged gently. "You need to get some rest."

"Yes, you're right," Shawn Sr. murmured, and shakily rose to his feet, with Mickey following his example. "I... you will call, yes? If there's any change...?"

"We'll keep everyone well informed, Pop," Bo promised, hugging him. "Just let Mickey take you home, okay? And try to get some sleep."

"Alright," his father agreed.

"Thanks, Uncle Mickey," Hope said softly as he steered Shawn Sr. towards the exit. Mickey gave a small wave of acknowledgment over his shoulder, and then the two men disappeared out the door.

"Mom? Dad?"

Bo turned to see his son walking towards them, his hands shoved into his pockets.

"I'm going to go ahead back to the loft with Rex and Mimi," Shawn said wearily. "Brady and Belle are both going to go home with John and Marlena tonight, to be with their family."

"That's probably a good idea," Bo agreed.

"Yeah," Shawn nodded. "But, uh, if you guys hear anything about Sami, will you let us know?"

"Of course we will, sweetheart," Hope replied.

"Okay," Shawn said, but he didn't make any move to leave yet, and Bo frowned, noticing that the troubled look hadn't left his son's eyes.

"What's bothering you, Shawn?" he asked quietly, placing a hand on Shawn's shoulder. "I know you're worried about your cousin, but it's more than that, I can tell."

Shawn was quiet for a long moment, staring down at the ground, and then he shook his head. "Lucas and I were the ones to lock her outside," he muttered hoarsely. "We locked her out there with the killer, and we all got a laugh out of it."

"You didn't mean for her to get hurt, sweetheart," Hope said, putting a comforting arm around their son. "Everyone knows that. You boys were just trying to help Kate and Roman by making their wedding run smoothly."

"And instead the ceremony had to be postponed because Sami nearly got killed," Shawn cried.

"They'll reschedule," Hope promised gently. "Kate and Roman are more concerned with Sami's health than any wedding. And no one blames you or Lucas for what happened to Sami, least of all Roman."

"Yeah, well, maybe I blame myself," Shawn mumbled.

"Hey, your Mom is right," Bo informed him. "This is not your fault. What happened to Sami can only be blamed on one person, and that's whoever attacked her."

Shawn gave him a confused look. "What do you mean 'whoever' attacked her? It was Tony DiMera, wasn't it?"

Bo and Hope exchanged an uneasy glance, and then Hope answered, "We're not so sure about that right now, honey."

"You kids drive carefully, okay?" Bo said sternly, sensing that his son was about to ask for further information.

"We will," Shawn promised, clearly frustrated that he wasn't getting any answers. "Promise you'll tell me what's going on later?"

"As much as we can," Hope agreed gently, leaning in to hug him and press a kiss to his hair. "Drive safe."

Shawn joined Rex and Mimi at the door and the three of them slipped outside together, letting a whisper of the cold night air trickle into the room.

"I think I need some coffee," Bo groaned, rubbing his chin. "How about you?"

"I'm fine," Hope said with a faint smile. "But I'll go get some for you, Roman and Marlena."

"That'd be great," Bo nodded. "Thanks."

He watched her as she crossed the room and rounded the corner, his chest tight with exhaustion and grief. So many people that they loved had already been taken from them, and with the killer still on the loose none of them were safe anymore. It was only a matter of time until the killer struck again, and who knew who the next victim would be.

_It could be anyone,_ Bo thought grimly. _Roman, John, even..._

Gritting his teeth, Bo vowed that would never happen. He was going to keep his family safe, no matter what lengths he had to go to in order to do it. Hope and the boys were everything to him, he wouldn't be able to go on if anything were to happen to them.

"I'm staying," Lucas' voice cut into his reverie, and he looked up to see Lucas shaking his head at his mother.

"Lucas," Kate began tentatively. "I don't think-"

"I'm staying," Lucas repeated firmly, then glanced over at his son. "Can you keep Will for the night?"

"Yes, of course I can," Kate sighed. "Sweetheart..." she trailed off, seemingly to abandon whatever she had been about to say. "Try to get some rest, okay? It won't do anyone any good if you wear yourself out."

Lucas nodded absently. "Yeah, I'll try."

Kate leaned over to kiss his cheek, then turned to Roman. "I'm so sorry about Sami," she told him, squeezing his hand tightly. "If you need me, call, no matter how late it is."

"I will," Roman promised, and drew her close for a long embrace and a tender kiss. "Thank you for everything you've done tonight. I know you and Sami don't-"

"Shh," Kate silenced him by pressing a finger to his lips. "Now's not the time to worry about that. Focus on helping your daughter get better, okay? We'll figure everything else out later."

Bo averted his eyes to give the couple a moment of privacy, not overlooking the irony that this was supposed to be their wedding night, but instead Roman was going to spend it watching over his daughter in the hospital and praying she didn't leave him.

"Come here, buddy," Lucas instructed his son, and Will moved to his father's side as Lucas wrapped him in a strong embrace. He murmured something that Bo couldn't hear, and Will nodded, crying, as he hugged Lucas back.

Father and son clung to one another desperately for a long moment, and then Lucas held Will out at arm's length, giving him a brave smile. "Be good for Grandma, alright?"

"I will," Will said, his lip trembling. "Dad, you'll call if anything happens, right? You'll tell me if... if anything..."

"You'll be the very first person I call when your Mom wakes up," Lucas promised with confidence that was clearly forced. "You'll see, buddy, everything will be fine."

Will didn't look very convinced as he sullenly followed his grandmother out towards the parking lot, and Bo couldn't blame him. While Will hadn't gotten a very good look at Sami outside of Tuscany, thanks to Kate grabbing him before he got close enough to really see what was going on, but Bo had, and it didn't look good.

While he didn't want to admit it, not even to himself, there was a very good chance that the next funeral they attended was going to be Sami's.


	4. Chapter 4

**Matters of the Heart**

**Chapter Four**

The hospital room was eerily quiet, with the steady rhythm of beeps coming from the vitals monitor and the hum of life-support machines the only sound breaking the silence. The whitewash walls were harsh under the glare of the lights overhead, and the room had the distinctive scent of sterilized disinfectants.

Roman Brady hated hospitals.

He wasn't exactly sure what it was about them that unsettled him, but he hated being there. Especially when it was someone he loved that was admitted there.

_What was it that Eric used to say?_ he asked himself wearily. _'People don't go to hospitals to get better, they go there to die?'_

Sighing, he shook his head, chastising himself for letting such dark thoughts creep into his head. He needed to stay focused and optimistic, he owed it to his daughter.

"Hey, Sami girl," he murmured, lifting a hand to brush a loose strand of hair away from her face. "You still hanging in there, peanut?"

She was so pale, and her lips were ashen and chapped. Her golden hair had lost some of its shine, and the nurses had cleaned her face of the makeup she'd been wearing earlier in the evening. With her eyes closed and her chest rising and falling slightly with shallow breathing, she suddenly looked very young.

Young and vulnerable.

"You grew up too fast," Roman said softly, his voice sounding strained and hoarse even to his own ears. "And I wasn't really there to make it any easier for you, was I?"

He'd missed out on the early years of her life, thanks to Stefano DiMera, and she'd grown up calling another man 'Father'. Roman didn't hold that against John Black, he had been a pawn in DiMera's game just the way Roman had, and having your entire life turn out to be nothing but a lie had to have been a devastating blow for the other man.

Not to mention losing the children he had loved as his own.

And Sami, Eric and Carrie had loved John, too. Their world had come crashing down the day they found out he wasn't their real father. He'd felt bad about it, but Roman hadn't been able to avoid feeling jealous of the way his children openly adored John, even after the truth came out.

Roman could still remember how she had cried herself to sleep at night all those years ago after she and Eric had come to live with him instead of John. He could remember the longing, desperate look in her eyes when they would see John in town. Eventually, it had all just become too much and they had sent her and Eric off to Colorado, claiming that distance might help the twins adjust to the separation from John.

But the truth was it had just been easier to send them away. There had been so much anger and hurt and confusion in the twins back then, they'd been ripped away from the only father they'd ever known and they weren't happy with the sudden and brutal change in their lives, and they had no problem letting the entire town know it.

It was just easier... he echoed to himself, feeling a distant pang in his chest. Why was it that he always took the easy road when it came to his children, especially Sami? It was easier to be judgmental and contemptuous than it was to actually admit that Sami's issues stemmed from his own shortcomings, and the shortcomings of John and Marlena.

They hadn't exactly done right by Sami, now had they?

Once she found out about the affair between John and Marlena, she had turned her back on them both, lashing out with a vicious, and sometimes frightening, side of her that he hadn't known existed until then.

It didn't take a psychologist to understand that it was more than just the affair, it was her entire world shattering around her all over again, and she rested the blame solely on John's shoulders.

Roman knew that she still loved John, despite the way she treated her stepfather. He knew it by the anger that stirred within her whenever John was in the room, he knew it by the fierceness with which she endlessly insisted that she hated him with a passion. Sami loved John as much now as she did when she was little, but she had some serious abandonment issues, and Roman knew that he was as much responsible for that as John was.

"I'm sorry, Sami," he said softly, his throat tightening painfully. "I wish I could make things okay for you, peanut, but I just don't know how."

He'd never known how to handle Sami, really, or any of the problems that inevitably seemed to find her. With Carrie things had been so simple and uncomplicated, and despite the occasional bouts of arguments that he'd had with Eric, he'd been able to relate to his son with relative ease.

But Sami was a puzzle that he still couldn't figure out entirely, not even after all these years.

"I'm so sorry for all the hurt you're going through, Sami," he said quietly. "I know how much the idea of me marrying Kate upsets you, I'm sure it must feel like a betrayal to you, but you have to know that I love you. And I love Kate, as much as you don't want to admit it, I think you know that. Now I want to build a life with her, peanut, but I can't have much of a life without you in it."

_Then I'm out of your life, Dad._

She'd been so upset with him before the wedding, more upset than he could remember seeing her in a long time, at least directed at him. Her eyes had been red-rimmed and puffy, as if she'd been crying all day long, and her bottom lip had quivered the way it did when she was fighting to keep from falling apart, but what had hit him the hardest was the look in her eyes.

She'd looked at him like he had just stabbed her in the back, and it felt like someone had punched him in the gut.

_I hate you, Dad._

Those had been her last words to him.

This was supposed to be his wedding night, the happiest day of his life. A day of new beginnings, a chance to start fresh with a woman he loved.

He wasn't supposed to be watching his youngest daughter fighting for her life.

Roman sighed, rubbing his chin and blinked over at the clock on the wall. It had been a long night, and though it had only been a few hours since Nicole had interrupted his wedding with the news about Sami's attack, it felt like he'd been sitting at her bedside for days.

Marlena had excused herself a few minutes ago to go splash her face with water in the bathroom after getting too emotionally worked up at the sight of their daughter lying pale in the hospital bed. He knew exactly how she felt, it didn't matter that Sami was an adult with a son of her own, she was still their little girl, and seeing her in such a state was heart-wrenching.

"I know this past year hasn't been easy on you, sweetheart," he sighed. "Between Brandon leaving and this maniac on the loose, you've been struggling just to keep your head above the water, but you can do it, Sami, I know you can. Because you're strong, stronger than anyone gives you credit for, and you're a fighter. So I know you're going to come through this okay, I have to know it, because if I don't I... I couldn't bear to lose you, Sami..."

His voice broke as he swallowed past the lump in his throat, his fingers curling around her limp hand, as if he could will some of his strength into her, to help her get better.

"Your Mom and I, we love you so much," Roman said hoarsely. "And Belle, Brady, Carrie and Eric, they love you, too. Not to mention your Uncle Bo and Grandpa Shawn. I know you feel alone, peanut, but you've got to know that's just not true. Your family loves you, and we're all praying for you to get better, okay?"

Roman fell silent for a moment, remembering the news he'd been given when he first arrived at the hospital. His daughter had lost a lot of blood and needed a transfusion, and her estranged half-brother had already volunteered to donate as much as the doctors needed.

"This may surprise you, Sami girl, but Rex is the one who gave blood for you," he told her, his thumb absently stroking her knuckles as he gazed at her pale, still features. "I know you two don't get along too well, but, uh, it seems like Rex is making an effort here. Maybe someday the two of you will be friends, what do you think?"

He knew what she would have said to that, she would have told him to keep dreaming, but Roman wasn't so sure it was impossible. After all, Rex had come to visit Sami in the hospital over the previous summer, after her accident at the DiMera mansion. No matter how poorly they treated each other, Rex seemed to at least recognize that Sami was still his sister, and that had to count for something, right?

As for his own relationship with Rex, Roman wasn't too hopeful. Things between them were tense at best, and hostile more often than not. Rex still harbored resentment towards him for the way he had treated him and Cassie before discovering he was their father, and he didn't seem likely to let go of that any time soon.

_And it's just as bad for Kate,_ he thought sadly. _He holds the way she treated Cassie against her, and maybe he always will._

Still, he wasn't willing to completely give up on Rex just yet. Maybe someday things would be different between them.

He could hope anyway.

"I think that'd be good for you both, kiddo," Roman murmured. "Rex needs a family, whether he admits it or not, and you... well, you've always felt alone, Sami, even surrounded by the people who love you most. Why is that, huh?"

He knew that Sami knew he loved her, knew that Marlena and John and her brothers and sisters all loved her, but she never really seemed to want to believe that.

Maybe all she really needed was someone who understood her. But that wasn't exactly an easy thing to do, Roman admitted to himself. Sami was a hard person to understand, and the only person who had ever really been able to figure her out was...

"You know, uh, Lucas is here," Roman said, clearing his throat. "He went ahead and sent Will home with Kate, but he stayed. He's been here all night. Now I know you two have a lot of baggage, there's been so much hurt and pain between you for the past five years, but I think maybe you're both starting to grow up enough to realize that you've got to let go of the past. For Will's sake, if not for your own."

Roman wasn't exactly sure what to make of Lucas Roberts anymore.

For the first few years after Sami had moved back to Salem, she and Lucas had been best friends, inseparable and practically joined at the hip. That had changed, though, when the truth about Will's paternity came out. As disappointed as he was with Sami for not telling Lucas as soon as she found out, Roman could chalk that up to being a frightened kid who was in over her head and didn't know what to do.

Lucas hadn't been so understanding, and the next few years were bitter and full of animosity as the two of them fought each other tooth and nail for custody of their son. Neither of them was innocent, they had both said and done things that they could never take back, but somehow, miraculously enough, they had both come out of it all relatively unscathed.

And now? What exactly had changed between them?

Roman didn't know, and he wasn't all that sure that even Lucas and Sami fully understood what had brought about the change in their relationship. All he knew was that they seemed to be making an effort to get along better, and to spend more time together with Will as a family.

And it was about damn time.

"That little boy... he adores you, Sami," he said hoarsely, getting choked up all over again. "The way his eyes light up when he looks at you, that special little smile he has reserved just for you... that's what you're fighting for now, sweetheart. For your son. Because Will, he needs you, Sami, he needs you now more than ever. Lucas can't do this alone, you know."

Especially not if Will's outburst at Tuscany was any indication of things to come. Roman knew that the hurtful things his grandson had yelled at Lucas had been said out of fear and pain, and he was sure that Lucas knew it, too, but that didn't make the words any less painful for the boy's father to hear.

"You just get better, okay, Sami?" Roman whispered, rising from his chair and leaning over to press a kiss to her clammy forehead. "Because you've got a whole lot of people here who need you to stick around."

He stood there for a moment, just looking at her, his heart heavy at the sight of her pale, lifeless face, and then he forced himself to look away as he headed for the door. It was bad enough that he couldn't stop picturing her laying there outside of Tuscany... the pool of crimson blood around her a shocking contrast to the white snow beneath her.

Once again, the killer had slipped right past all of their security measures and attacked another victim.

The bastard was going to pay, he'd make sure of it if it was the last thing he ever did. The cold-hearted killer who had murdered Abe and Jack and Cassie, and his beloved mother, was not going to get away with it.

_Don't worry, peanut,_ he vowed silently, pausing in the doorway to glance back at her still form one last time. _I'll find the creep who did this to you, and I swear I'll see him on Death Row for it._

Stepping out into the waiting room, he shut the door behind him gently, and glanced around to see if he could spot Marlena or Lexie Carver.

Instead, he found Lucas Roberts sitting in the same chair he'd been sitting in all evening, gaze lowered and fidgeting with his hands in much the same manner that Will did when he was being impatient. As soon as he spotted him, though, Lucas was on his feet.

"How is she?" he asked eagerly.

"No change," Roman replied quietly.

"I guess that's to be expected," Lucas sighed, his shoulders sagging. "Lexie said she didn't think she would wake up any time tonight, after all."

"Yeah," Roman agreed, and took a moment to study the man before him. Lucas looked like he felt; exhausted, so tense that his muscles were rigid, like he hadn't slept in days. For the first time, Roman wondered if maybe he hadn't been unfair that day when Sami was brought to the hospital after her accident at Tony DiMera's mansion, when he'd told Lucas that he was poison.

Because from the look on the boy's face, he truly did care about Sami, maybe even more than either of them wanted to admit.

"Marlena said to tell you that she was waiting for you outside," Lucas informed him wearily. "I think she needed to get some fresh air, and get out of this place for a bit."

"That was probably a good idea," Roman nodded. "She just about fell apart in Sami's room."

"I can't blame her," Lucas muttered, running a hand through his dark hair.

"I'm going to drop Doc off at the penthouse my way home," Roman told him. "You should head on home, too, Lucas. I'm sure Will would feel better if you were there right now."

"I was actually thinking I might stay here for a while," Lucas said, his gaze flickering away from Roman's. "Mom took Will home, and maybe it'd be best to leave him there for the night."

_Why is it that every time I see my daughter the past few months,_ Roman wondered, eyeing Lucas appraisingly. _You're always just a step behind her?_

And it was true, it did seem like every time he turned around the two of them were together. Of course, half the time they were accusing one another of being the serial killer, accusations which Roman was getting tired of fast since he knew that neither of them actually believed the other was guilty, but they were still together. In fact, he could count more than one occasion in which they had gone from accusing one another to defending one another in less than a split second.

If he didn't know better, he would have sworn that there was something going on between the two of them.

"Lucas, I know that you and Sami have gotten closer over the past few months," Roman began, shaking his head. "But I really don't think-"

"Roman, please," Lucas cut him off pleadingly. "This is... this is the mother of my son. I care about Sami, more than you know. She and Will are the most important things in the world to me."

Roman was quiet for a moment, then gave a begrudging nod of his head. "Okay, you can stay, just make sure you call if there's any news. I should stop by and see your mother for a bit, anyway. Anything you want me to tell Will?"

"Just that Sami and I both love him," Lucas answered tiredly. "And that he shouldn't worry, because she's a fighter."

"Okay, then," Roman said, clapping him on the shoulder and fixed him with a serious look. "Watch over her, will you?"

"Always," Lucas replied softly, and something told Roman he meant it.

Confident that Sami was in good hands, Roman headed outside to the parking lot, stopping briefly at the nurse's station to leave a message for Lexie that Lucas was going to stay with Sami. When he stepped outside into the chilly night air, he found Marlena standing on the sidewalk, sniffling as she shivered inside her black coat.

"How you holding up, Doc?" he asked softly as he came up beside her.

"It's our baby girl, Roman," Marlena whispered brokenly. "Why do these things always happen to Sami?"

"I don't know," Roman admitted, rubbing her arm comfortingly. "But she's strong, our Sami. She'll get through this, just like she always does."

"Will she?" Marlena asked hoarsely, turning to face him with tears sliding down her cheeks. "She was so heartbroken tonight, Roman. How many times does she keep having to suffer before she can finally be happy?"

Not having an answer, Roman merely squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"I'll never forgive myself if..."

"Shhh," Roman silenced her gently. "Sami's going to be fine, we have to believe that, okay? We've got to stay positive here, for her sake."

"You're right," Marlena said weakly, dabbing at her eyes with the corner of her sleeve, then looked around with a frown. "Is Lucas still inside?"

"Yeah," Roman answered hesitantly. "He's going to stay the night, I think."

Marlena frowned, clearly not too thrilled to hear that, and opened her mouth to say something, then paused. "Are you okay with that?" she finally asked.

"I don't really know," Roman told her truthfully. "Lucas and Sami... they've spent years trying to tear each other down. But I get the feeling that lately they've been trying to mend some fences, and he seems genuinely concerned about her."

"So he's going to stay with her," Marlena murmured.

"He promised to call us if there's even the slightest change in her condition," Roman assured her, gently steering her towards the rows of cars ahead. "I don't know about you, but I feel better knowing that someone is going to be at her bedside, even if it is Lucas."

"I just don't want her to wake up and get upset if he's there," Marlena argued. "After all, Lucas did lock her out of the wedding, and I have a feeling that's going to be the first thing she remembers when she lays eyes on him."

"Maybe," Roman conceded with a shrug, pulling his keys out of his pocket. "Maybe not. Either way, I don't think we could drag Lucas away right now without a restraining order and a dozen cops. Even then, I'm not so sure he wouldn't sneak back in once we were gone. Better to let him watch over her for us, in my opinion."

"Maybe you're right," Marlena sighed as they reached his car. "I just... I just don't want to see our baby girl hurt any more than she already has been."

"I know you don't," Roman said quietly. "Neither do I."

They made it to his care and climbed inside, neither saying a word as he started the car and pulled out of the hospital parking lot. As he drove towards the penthouse, Roman let his thoughts drift back to the news Bo had given him shortly before heading home with Hope

Tony wasn't the killer, the results of the blood test had cleared him.

Which meant that the real killer was still out there somewhere, biding his or her time, waiting to strike again. He still didn't know what the pattern of these killings was, expect that Jack, Maggie and Caroline had all been killed for getting too close to the truth, and Cassie had become a victim after figuring out the killer's identity.

So why Sami? Why had the killer gone after her, not once but twice?

Roman clenched the steering wheel so tight his knuckles turned white. There was only one reason he could think of, and it made his stomach turn over.

"This isn't your fault, you know," Marlena said suddenly. "I know the killer named you as the next victim, but that doesn't mean Sami was attacked because of you, Roman."

Startled, Roman glanced over at her in surprise, then shook his head ruefully. "You always could read me better than anyone, huh, Doc?"

Marlena smiled weakly, her eyes red from crying. "I'm a psychiatrist, remember? It's my job to read people."

Roman forced a smile for her sake, then focused his attention on the road ahead of him, trying to put everything else out of mind.

But he still couldn't get the way Sami had looked at him before storming off back at Tuscany out of his head, and he knew if his little girl died hating him, he'd never be able to forgive himself.


	5. Chapter 5

**Matters of the Heart**

**Chapter Five**

Sighing, John Black leaned his head back against the couch, closing his eyes as he pinched the bridge of his nose wearily.

Between Tony being arrested for the killings, and then later released after his blood didn't match the sample recovered at the tree lot, Kate and Roman's wedding being put on hold and Sami's attack, it had been an excruciatingly long day.

Opening his eyes, he looked down at the photographs splayed out across the coffee table in front of him. Marlena had been so exhausted, both physically and emotionally, after returning from the hospital that she had fallen asleep almost immediately, but sleep wasn't coming as easily to him.

Every time he closed his eyes, he kept seeing Sami sprawled out in the snow, so he'd decided to pull out some old photographs in the hopes of pushing that nightmarish image out of his head, at least for a while.

A faint smile touched his lips as he gave the picture of a pair of twin toddlers one last look before setting it down on the coffee table with the others. It had been a long time since he'd looked at these photographs, seeing them again was bittersweet. They captured moments of his past, happier times when he'd still believed himself to be Roman Brady and the beautiful blond-haired, blue-eyed twins to be his own flesh and blood.

Those were happy memories, but painful ones, too, because they reminded him of what he'd lost, and what he could never get back.

Lifting the next photograph from the pile that he hadn't looked through yet, John found his breath catching in his throat. Two bright smiles stared back at him as Isabella Toscano grinned at the camera with a giggling Sami Brady on her back, their heads touching as they waved at someone out of sight.

John smiled sadly, remembering that day as if it were yesterday. It had been Isabella's birthday, as evidenced by the cake in the corner of the picture, which the twins had lovingly helped him decorate with a ridiculous amount of sprinkles.

Isabella had loved it, of course, for the simple fact that the kids had pitched in to make it special for her. That day had been a really good day, full of laughter and smiles, as they spent the day in the park celebrating as a family with a picnic lunch. He and Eric had spent an hour tossing around a football while Sami happily sat on the blanket they had spread out on the grass as Isabella taught her how to make garlands out of the wildflowers growing in the field.

Both girls were wearing their flower wreaths on their heads in the photograph, and for a moment John could almost hear their laughter echoing in his ears.

_We had some times, didn't we, Izzy-B?_ he thought wistfully. They'd been a perfect little family back then, the four of them, back before they'd all been taken away from him. He'd lost Isabella to cancer shortly after Brady was born, and the twins, his children who had never really been his, had gone to live with Roman and Marlena, their real parents.

It had been painful enough to find out that past few years of his life had been nothing but a lie, that he wasn't Roman Brady after all, but that had been nothing compared to the agony of having to walk away from Sami, Eric and Carrie. It had been easier with Carrie since she was living with her mother in Europe at the time, but trying to explain to the twins why he had to leave had nearly torn his heart out. They had begged and pleaded with him not to go, desperately crying for their "Daddy" when he no longer had any claim to that title.

It had nearly killed him to ignore Sami and Eric's sobbing pleas the day he walked out of the house, leaving them with a tearful Marlena and their real, biological father. Soon after, though, Roman had sent the twins to stay with their grandparents in Colorado, severing what little contact he had still been able to maintain with them, and it would be several years before Sami came back to Salem a young woman instead of the little girl he'd lost.

She had still adored him back then, though, but it didn't last long once she happened upon him and Marlena together. From that moment on his relationship with the girl he'd raised had gone into a downward spiral, anger and resentment eventually growing into a fiery and passionate fury that she felt the need to unleash upon him at every turn.

Despite what she might say, or yell, as the case often was, John knew in his heart that she didn't truly hate him. Or least not as much as she proclaimed she did. He hadn't been married to a shrink all these years without picking up on a few things, and he had to believe that somewhere, underneath all that anger and bitterness, Sami still cared for him to some degree.

He refused to believe that the sweet, loving little girl he had raised was completely gone.

But that didn't make it any easier to put up with her caustic, petulant behavior. Sometimes it was all he could do not to ring that girl's neck, and as much as he still loved her, he wasn't above giving her a taste of her own medicine.

Tough love, he'd called it when Kate was pressing him to believe Sami was the serial killer. He'd never been one to treat his stepdaughter with kid-gloves, but there were times when he wondered, briefly, if he had taken things too far. Of course, then Sami would lash out at him and he'd find himself disgusted with her all over again.

She was better than that, he knew she was, because he'd raised her to be better than that, hadn't he?

_You're going to be the death of me, Samantha,_ he thought with a groan of frustration. Any time he tried to be gentle with her, any time he so much as showed a glimmer of concern for her, it seemed to make her even more determined to drive him away.

Despite that, he was furious with himself for not realizing that she was in danger. After hearing about her close call with the killer in the alley from Roman, he'd had a moment of utter relief, all too aware of the nightmarish turn that night could have taken, but he'd put it out of his thoughts soon after, worrying instead about Roman's safety and trying to make Marlena believe that Celeste's vision about him killing her was nothing but a crazy dream.

The latter had not been an easy task, especially not with Sami campaigning against him. That was probably the most hurtful thing she had ever done to him, accusing him of being capable of murdering her mother, his wife and the woman he loved. Bad enough that now Marlena was having flickers of doubt, not to mention the rest of the town, but the very idea that his little girl could think that of him was enough to break his heart.

Maybe that was why he hadn't been paying as much attention to her safety as he should have. He'd been so hurt, so angry, that she was not only buying into that ridiculous dream of Celeste's, but more than willing to use it to drive him and Marlena apart in order to get her parents back together again. He wanted to grab her by the shoulder and shake some sense into her, make her realize that her parents were actually only together for a very tiny portion of her life.

And that whether they were connected by blood or not, she was still every bit as much his as she was Roman's.

_"I'm trying to tell you people that Sami's outside bleeding to death, dammit!"_

Nicole's words had hit him hard, like ice water being dumped over his head, but even then it had seemed unreal. Sami was a fighter, Sami was strong. Sami could not really be lying there pale and lifeless and surrounded by blood.

John closed his eyes, trying to block it out, refusing to go there for fear that if he did he would unravel completely.

"Dad?"

Blinking back the tears in his eyes, John took a moment to compose himself before turning to smile at his youngest child. "Belle, sweetheart, I thought you were going to bed?"

"Can't sleep," Belle explained with a shrug as she stepped down into the living room dressed in a pair of purple pajama pants and a pink top, her golden hair plaited back into braided pigtails.

"Me neither," Brady spoke up, emerging from the study, and John raised an eyebrow at that. "I just got off the phone with Chloe," his son explained, gesturing towards the phone in the other room. "I wanted to make sure that she was okay back at the mansion with Granddad and Nicole."

"She didn't have to go back there by herself," John told him. "You could have brought her here for tonight."

"I told her that," Brady shook his head as he strode over to drop down into the chair on the other side of the coffee table. "But she said she didn't want to intrude on family time."

"That's silly," Belle scoffed, plopping down beside John on the couch and tucking her legs under her to keep her feet warm. "Chloe is practically family as it is."

Brady smiled faintly. "I'm glad you think so."

Belle smiled, then glanced over at the coffee table with curiosity. "What are you doing, Dad?" she asked, her brows furrowing as she leaned over the table to peer at the photographs. "Are those all of Sami and Eric?"

"Yeah, but there are a few with you and Brady in there, too," John answered evenly. "Your Mom and I have a whole box of them upstairs. I just brought some of them down to look over for a bit."

Wordlessly, Belle picked up the closest picture and smiled. "Eric was such a clown," she laughed softly at her half-brother's pose. "He must have driven you crazy some days."

"He did indeed," John agreed with a chuckle. "There are a few in here somewhere that he actually took. Even back then he loved to play with the camera."

"Let's just be glad he decided to stick with taking the photos instead of being in them," Brady said dryly, picking up another one in which a young Eric Brady was making faces at whoever was taking the picture.

"Look," Belle cried excitedly. "Remember this Halloween, Brady?"

John had to smother a laugh as she held up a photograph of the kids all dressed up, with a very unhappy looking Brady stuck in a Peter Pan outfit. "Oh God," Brady moaned in mortification. "I can't believe Marlena got me to wear those tights! Dad, you have to burn that picture."

"No way," Belle protested, clutching it behind her back. "I have to show this to Chloe! And Philip would die laughing if he got to see it."

"Show that to them and I'll have to dig out your naked baby pictures," Brady warned. "Besides, you're a pumpkin in that picture!"

"Don't remind me," Belle wrinkled her nose. "Why did Sami get to be a princess and I had to be a fat, orange vegetable."

"Is a pumpkin really a fruit or would it be considered a vegetable?" Brady wondered aloud.

Belle gave him an annoyed look. "Does it matter? No kid should ever be dressed up as something edible for Halloween. It's just wrong."

John stifled a laugh, his eyes twinkling with amusement as he watched her filter through the photos eagerly, and a few moments later her expression softened as she picked up a new one with gentle fingers.

"Sami looks so happy in this picture," Belle murmured, her eyes shimmering with tears as she showed them the picture of an eight-year old Sami grinning from her position on the balance beam. "I haven't seen her look that way in a long time."

"Hard to believe they're even the same girl," Brady said with a shake of his head. "How did such a sweet kid turn into such a messed up woman?"

"Childhood environment," Belle answered absently, and when they looked at her in surprise she gave them a sheepish shrug. "What? I took psychology last semester, remember?"

"Yeah, but Shawn was in that class with you," Brady smirked. "So I assumed you spent the entire time doodling his name on your notebook or something."

"Ha ha," Belle scowled, and Brady just chuckled. John forced a smile, but his stomach felt as if someone had rung it inside out. Belle's words, spoken so casually, had hit home. If he was honest with himself, he knew that he'd had more to do with the way Sami had turned out than he wanted to admit, even to himself.

He'd never wanted to hurt cause her pain, not his little Samantha, but he'd done that quite a bit over the years, whether it was his affair with Marlena when Sami's parents had still been together, or just letting his own misery get the best of him by lashing out at her when she deliberately tried to hurt and upset him. It hurt him to hurt her, because even after all these years and all the tension between them, she was still, and always would be, his daughter in every way that counted.

Maybe someday he'd be able to make her see that.

"Oh, wow," Belle said softly, and John looked over to see that she was holding a picture of herself, no older than three at the most, fast asleep in Sami's lap. "Dad, can I keep this one?"

"Of course you can," John replied with an encouraging smile. "You sure were cute kids, huh?"

"The cuteness was to cover up the fact that they were little terrors," Brady commented wryly.

"Oh, like you're one to talk, Brady," Belle stuck out her tongue at him. "You came back from boarding school thinking you were a big, bad rebel, remember?"

Brady cleared his throat ruefully. "I grew out of that stage," he reminded her.

"Could have fooled me," she retorted playfully, then sighed, looking back down at the picture in her hands. "I wish Sami would be like this more often. She always seems to have her guard up, even around her family."

"Sami's not an easy person to love," Brady observed evenly. "She's got a lot of issues."

"That's the truth," John agreed with a somber nod. "Sometimes I just don't understand what goes through that girl's head."

"She's just lonely," Belle defended her big sister. "She doesn't feel like she belongs anywhere."

"That's because she doesn't want to belong," Brady snorted. "She does everything she can to push the people who love her away. No wonder she chases every guy in her life away, when she thinks she has to scheme just to get them to love her."

"I'm going to make some tea," Belle said suddenly, standing up and heading for the kitchen quickly. John watched her go, his heart aching for both of his daughters. Belle had always adored Sami as a child, and now that they were both more or less adults, she still idolized her big sister in some ways. Not to say that she was blind to Sami's less desirable qualities, but Belle seemed more willing to overlook them than most people.

Including the rest of Sami's relatives.

"Guess I went too far, huh?" Brady asked with a wince, as the kitchen door swung shut.

"You just stated the truth, son," John reassured him. "I don't pretend to understand the way Sami's mind works, but sometimes I think Belle is right, and she is just desperate to be loved. But that's no excuse for some of the things she's done."

"Yeah," Brady agreed, frustrated. "And you know what drives me crazy about her? She takes every little thing you say or do and turns it back against you. At her grandmother's funeral, I tried to give her my condolences, and she accused me of just wanting to see her suffering."

"It's her way of dealing, I suppose," John murmured.

Sami had taken Caroline's death hard, and John couldn't blame her. For a few years he had believed Caroline Brady to be his mother, but she had always been the one constant presence in Sami's life. No matter how many times her family fell apart or changed, Caroline had always been there for her youngest granddaughter, and he knew that Sami was wrestling with guilt for the terrible things she had said to her grandmother shortly before her death.

_Why do you do it, Samantha?_ he wondered to himself. _Is it easier to push us away than to let us in?_

Brady suddenly leaned forward and lifted up a photograph, and when John caught a glimpse of it he realized that it had been the one he was staring at before the kids came into the room, the one of Isabella and Sami at the park.

"This is of Mom and Sami," Brady murmured in surprise.

"It sure is," John nodded, once again touched by a wave of regret. "Your Mom was head over heels for Sami and Eric. It didn't matter that they weren't hers, she loved them just as much as if they had been. And they loved her, too."

"I didn't know that," Brady said quietly. "I mean, I knew that Mom was a big part of their lives back then, but I guess I didn't realize that she really was a parent figure for them, huh?"

"She was the closest thing they had to a mother while Marlena was missing," John agreed. Chuckling, he ran his fingers through his hair. "You know, Sami always was a handful. She was more energetic than the Energizer Bunny."

"I can imagine," Brady said dryly. "What'd you do to calm her down? Tie her to a chair?"

"Tempting at that idea was," John said with a soft smile. "Your mother had a way with her. Sami would sit still for hours at a time while Isabella braided her hair." A sense of melancholy fell over him and he sighed, shaking his head. "Those kids really did adore her. It was pretty confusing for them when Marlena came back, because they'd come to think of Isabella as their mother in her absence."

Brady nodded absently, a distant look crossing his face.

"What?" John asked worriedly. "What is it?"

Brady hesitated a moment, gazing down at the photograph in his hands, then looked up with a grim expression. "Just before she lost consciousness, Sami called out Mom's name."

"Isabella?" John murmured in disbelief. "She called for Isabella?"

Swallowing hard, Brady nodded. "She was looking off at something in the distance and... you don't think that... I mean, she couldn't have really seen her, could she?"

"I don't know," John answered truthfully, a sinking sensation knotting in his stomach as he tried not to think about what it could mean if Sami had seen his deceased ex-wife. "Isabella's always been the kind of woman to watch over the people she loves, maybe she's watching over Sami."

"Or maybe..." Brady trailed off, leaving the implications of what it could mean hanging unspoken in the air between them.

"You know what?" Belle's voice rang out just then as she emerged from the kitchen, sipping her tea. "I think I'm going to go to the florist shop tomorrow and get some of those tiger lilies that Sami loves to put in her hospital room. That way when she wakes up, she'll see them and know that we were worried about her."

John forced a smile that didn't quite meet his eyes. "I'm sure she'd appreciate that, sweetheart," he replied, his throat tightening at her hopeful optimism.

"Maybe I'll get some balloons, too," Belle said thoughtfully, tilting her head as she settled down on the couch. "Think she'd like that?"

Brady and John exchanged a grim look, neither of them having the heart to voice their own doubts and fears to her. "That's a good idea, Tink," Brady said, smiling at his little sister, and Belle beamed happily at his praise.

"Just make sure you run it by Lexie first, okay?" John instructed her. "The hospital may not want balloons in there just yet."

"Yeah, okay," Belle promised, then shook her head. "I can't believe Mom said that Lucas stayed at the hospital."

"I can't believe Roman let him stay," Brady retorted. "I know I'm not always Sami's biggest fan, but I'm not sure leaving Lucas there was a good idea."

"He's just concerned about her," John said wearily. "They've grown a lot closer since her accident at the DiMera mansion this past summer."

That would have been impossible not to notice, given how they always seemed to be showing up together, and more than once the two of them had given one another alibis for the murders. That, if nothing else, told John that neither of them was guilty, because if Sami or Lucas had thought for even a second that the other was seriously the murderer, they would have done everything in their power to see them brought to justice.

Wouldn't they?

In his mind, he replayed the scene he and Kate had witnessed at Caroline's funeral. Something had changed between Sami and Lucas in recent months, and he wasn't sure he liked it. While more often than not he felt contempt towards his stepdaughter for her cruel behavior, odd instincts died hard, and part of him still wanted to protect his little girl from the wolves.

And Lucas Roberts was definitely one of the wolves, whether his mother wanted to admit it or not.

Kate was convinced that Sami was going to use her feminine wiles to hurt Lucas in order to get revenge on Kate, but John didn't think that was going to happen. Not that he doubted his stepdaughter's feminine wiles or the affect they undoubtedly had on Lucas, but he was smart enough to realize that Lucas was probably the one man Sami couldn't wrap around her little finger.

The only way she was going to get to Lucas was if Lucas wanted to be gotten to. John had seen the way Lucas looked at his stepdaughter, the way Sami unconsciously seemed to turn to Lucas when she needed comforting, and it looked like Will might just get his wish someday about having his parents together.

Of course, that would never happen if Sami didn't make it through her latest life-or-death struggle.

Will was growing up, pretty soon he would be able to look Lucas in the eye without even lifting his head. Those turbulent teenage years were just around the corner, and having survived Brady's adolescence, John knew for a fact that Lucas was going to need Sami around in order to get through that.

Despite all of her flaws and shortcomings, no one could deny that Sami Brady was a good mother. She loved her son more than anything, and it showed, because Will adored her with the kind of unconditional devotion that only a child could have for a parent.

It would kill him to lose her.

_You've got plenty to live for, Samantha,_ he sighed to himself. _Maybe more than you realize._

"Dad?" Belle asked softly, her voice quivering slightly. He looked up to find her watching him with wide, watering eyes as her bottom lip trembled. "Do you think Sami's going to be okay?"

John swallowed hard, feeling his own eyes stinging. "I don't know, sweetheart," he admitted, hating how fragile his sounded, even to his own ears. "I pray she will, but I just don't know."

"She was hurt pretty bad," Brady murmured, his eyes glossing over, and John could practically see him drifting back to the scene outside of Tuscany. He had finally changed clothes now that they were back at the penthouse, much to John's relief. Seeing Sami's blood all over his son's tuxedo had made it nearly impossible to stop thinking about how pale Sami had been lying there in the snow, or how much blood there had been pooling around her...

"Dad?" Belle spoke, her voice quiet and soft, bringing to mind the mental image of a much younger girl.

"Yes?" John asked hoarsely, looking over at her and her expression nearly broke his heart, she looked so lost and fragile.

"I don't want Sami to die," Belle said, her voice breaking.

John enfolded her into a hug and she buried her face in his shoulder. "I know, baby," he whispered shakily. "None of us do."

"I said such horrible things to her," Belle sobbed. "I accused her of being the killer, even though I knew in my heart she wasn't. How could I do that to her?"

"You're not the only one who's been hard on her, Isabella," John rasped, stroking her hair as his heart constricted painfully with guilt. "We all were."

"She's been pretty hard on us, too, though," Brady pointed out quietly. "So you shouldn't worry about it, Belle, you know Sami won't hold it against you. She loves you, and she knows that you love her."

"Does she?" Belle asked, gasping for air through her tears. "When's the last time I told her that? I can't even remember, so how can I expect her to?"

"I think Sami knows, deep down, that we all love her," Brady said slowly. "Even if she doesn't give us many opportunities or reasons to say it. Because no matter what any of us say or do, or how much we may wish otherwise at times, we're still family, and family is forever."

"I just want her to wake up," Belle sniffled, tears sliding down her red cheeks. "Because I couldn't bear it if she... if I didn't get to tell her one last time..."

She burst into tears again, burying her face in his shoulder, and John closed his eyes, swallowing past the lump in his throat.

He'd never be able to forgive himself if Sami died without him ever telling her, either.


	6. Chapter 6

**Matters of the Heart**

**Chapter Six**

It was a disturbingly familiar scene.

Sami lying pale and lifeless in a hospital bed, on the brink of death all over again. He'd seen her this way the day he burst into the execution chamber to confess to Franco's murder only to find it was too late and they had already administered the lethal injection. He'd seen her like this after the Titan helicopter crash, and twice in Italy, once when the herbs his mother and Victor had convinced him to slip her had caused her to stop breathing and again when Brandon Walker had carried her lifeless body into the restaurant to show them what their handiwork had accomplished.

And just a little over six months ago, he'd watched in horror as she fell through the glass doors at the DiMera mansion, an incident that would forever change their lives in more ways than anyone could have ever expected.

Maybe he'd just been tired of all the fighting, tired of reminding himself every morning when he woke up that he hated Sami for what she had done to him, and justifying the terrible things he had done to her in return. Maybe seeing her in such a state, barely clinging to life, had just reminded him that despite what he might try to make himself believe, there was still a very big part of him that cared for Sami Brady, and there probably always would be.

Whatever the reason, her accident last summer had forced him to realize that he didn't want to spend the rest of his life waging war against his former best friend. For the first time in years, he'd admitted to himself that he missed that girl, perhaps more than he'd ever missed anyone.

And nothing had ever been the same since.

While they still fought from time to time, after all those years of being enemies fighting was their comfort zone, the place they could fall back to when things got to intense or to frightening to deal with, they weren't intentionally trying to hurt each other anymore. Oh, she still infuriated him like no one else could, and sometimes he didn't know whether he wanted to kiss her or kill her, but there wasn't any doubt in his mind that Sami was the woman he was meant to be with.

Her accident at the DiMera mansion had forced him to accept that he still wanted her to be a part of his life, and in the following weeks as he took care of her, often against her wishes, he'd found old feelings that he'd thought long-buried resurfacing.

It was the little things that did it, really, like how upset she had gotten that he missed the family dinner she'd tried to prepare for them and Will, or how she had turned to him for help before anyone else, even her parents.

And somewhere along the line, he had come to a rather startling revelation.

He was truly, madly, deeply in love with Samantha Brady.

Maybe he always had been.

After all this time, all the missed chances to change the course of their lives, he'd finally come to terms with the fact that the only woman he could ever be completely happy with was the mother of his son, and now she was lying there in a hospital bed, fighting for her life.

They'd been intricate parts of one another's lives for over a decade now, and the irony of the fact that they'd wasted so much time did not escape him.

He loved her, and now he might never get the chance to tell her.

_Don't think like that,_ he scolded himself sharply. _She's going to be fine. Look at all the times she should have died in the past, and she survived. Sami Brady doesn't die. She's going to be okay._

She had to be, because he didn't think he could take it if she wasn't.

"I need a drink," he muttered under his breath, and shook his head in disgust. He hadn't touched a drop since that day in his apartment after Maggie's death, when Sami had defended him to Will, and then dumped out all of the alcohol he'd had stashed away. He'd made a promise that day, both to himself and to her, that he wasn't ever going to disappoint the people he loved again.

But if she left him, if he had to wake up one day and realize that she was really, truly gone and never coming back, he wasn't sure he would be able to resist the bottle for long. Living without Sami was something he simply didn't know how to do. Even during all their years of fighting, she had still been there, just as central a part of his life as ever, even if she was the bane of existence at the time.

"How am I supposed to live without you, Sami?" he wondered aloud, his chest constricting painfully at the thought. He let his gaze drift over her, studying the gentle curves of her face that he knew so well.

This was the woman who had lied to him, betrayed him. The woman who had spent the better part of the past five or six years trying to deny him his son. The woman who had caused him so much pain and suffering, who had broken his trust all those years ago by keeping the truth from him. The woman who had driven him to go such terrible lengths to win the war over their son.

But this was also the girl who had trusted him unconditionally, who made him feel like he could do anything. The girl whose bright eyes and warm smile had always been able to make even the worst of days seem better somehow.

They had been best friends, partners in crime, and most important of all, they had been equals. In Sami he had found a kindred spirit, someone who could understand him as easily and deeply as he understood her.

With Sami, he hadn't felt lonely anymore.

Of course, after learning the truth about Will, he had rarely felt anything but. His best friend had lied to him, and he had been so outraged, so hurt, by that betrayal, that he had let his mother turn him against her, beginning the custody battle that had consumed the next few years of their lives.

"I should have accepted your apology all these years ago, sweetheart," he murmured, his heart aching with grief. "When the truth about Will came out, you tried to make peace, but I was so angry, so hurt, that I... if I'd just forgiven you, the way my heart wanted to, there never would have been all this bitterness and hate between us."

And maybe they would have been a family all along.

It wouldn't have been easy, he had no delusions about that, but anything would have been better than the way they had spent the past few years. So many times he had wanted to reach out to her, to say he was sorry and to try and work things out, but he hadn't had the heart to face Sami's rejection. The few times he had tried to get her to make peace with him, she'd shot him down.

Although, to be fair, he couldn't really blame her. Going to Death Row for a murder that your son's father committed and let you be framed for had to put a strain on the whole trust factor. If he'd been in her shoes, he probably wouldn't have forgiven himself for that back then either.

Somehow, though, he had regained her trust over the past year, whether she admitted it or not. He knew it by the way that whenever she was scared or upset she turned to him on instinct, the way she had come running to him in the middle of the night, seeking comfort in the safety of his arms.

And despite his every intention to protect her during the serial killer's reign of terror, he had failed.

She'd already been a target of the killer once before, and he was still kicking himself for letting her leave the Pub alone that night. He'd known that it was dangerous, hell, even Will had known it, and yet he hadn't gone after her. It had been a long day, and he knew that she would have gotten furious with him for even suggesting that she couldn't look after herself. After all, look at what had happened when he'd only advised her to keep her eyes open, she'd muttered something about it making his Christmas if the killer got rid of her.

Even though he'd known that she didn't really believe that, it had frustrated him. Every time he tried to open up to her about his feelings, any time he made any type of headway with her at all, she pulled back. Two steps forward, one step back... or was it one step forward, two steps back? Sometimes it was hard to tell anymore.

But he'd promised her that night, as he was taking her home after the attack, that he would never let the killer come after her again, and he'd meant it. There was nothing that mattered to him more than making sure his family was safe, and Sami was definitely a very important member of that family.

_I'm so sorry, baby,_ he thought, caressing her knuckles with his thumb as his eyes traced her pale features._ I wasn't able to keep my promise._

He hadn't kept a lot of promises to her over the past few years, more often than not intentionally, but that was going to change. He was determined to do right by Sami and Will this time around, no matter what it took.

His heart wrenched painfully as he recalled the harsh words his son had hurled at him outside of Tuscany, yelling that it would be his fault if Sami died. Lucas had already known that, of course, it had been screaming in his head ever since Nicole burst in with the news that Brady was outside tending to a bleeding Sami, but hearing it from Will's lips had somehow made it hurt even more.

Probably because it was true.

So many times in the past he had nearly cost Will his mother, so many times he had almost taken Sami away from their son forever. First by letting his mother frame Sami for Franco's murder, then in Italy... and it would have been all his fault. Every time he looked at his son, he would have remembered, and he would have hated himself for it. Eventually, Will would have hated him for it, too, once the truth came out, and he was certain it would have at some point.

But that was all ancient history now. He didn't want Sami out of Will's life for even a day, much less permanently. He wanted to give his son the one thing Will had always wanted- a happy, loving little family.

And yet here they were, Sami hooked up to life-support, and he had no one to blame but himself.

Part of him wanted to argue that he'd warned her, he'd made it perfectly clear before the wedding that if she tried to ruin the ceremony, he would stop her. He'd even told her exactly what he intended to do in order to do so.

But the rest of him knew that Sami wouldn't be lying in that hospital bed right now if it hadn't been for him. If he hadn't locked her outside, she would have been safe indoors, where the killer wouldn't have had a chance of getting near her. She would have been in plain sight, and he could have protected her, the way he always wanted to.

"I'm so sorry, Sami," he rasped, his vision blurring with tears as he gazed at her pale face. "I didn't mean for this to happen. I... I didn't..."

He hung his head in shame, his chest bursting with a storm of emotions that positively burned. He always hurt her, whether he meant to or not. In the past, he'd been so blinded by the thirst for vengeance that he'd let things get out of hand over and over again. No matter what she'd done, no matter how badly he wanted to make her feel the pain she'd caused him, he had never, ever wanted Sami to be injured.

Because deep down he was still that boy who had sat beside her bed after Austin hit her with the car, pleading for her to live, begging her not to leave him all alone.

Just like he was doing now.

"You can't die, Sami," he said shakily, his chest positively aching at the very thought of such a tragedy coming true. "Because our little boy needs you. He needs you so much, sweetheart. You've got to be there at his football games, cheering like crazy, and you've got to take thousands of pictures of his first date while I act all embarrassed on his behalf even though I'm just as worked up about it as you are."

He reached out to stroke her golden hair reverently, the silky strands smooth against his fingertips, and he felt tears welling in his eyes.

"And he's going to start hating school in a few years," Lucas continued softly, swallowing hard past the lump in his throat. "So you have to be around to make him do his homework and tough it out, because I don't have the patience for that stuff like you do. And what about when he gets his driver's license?" Despite himself, he gave a faint chuckle, letting his knuckles brush her cool cheek. "Okay, so I'll probably field that one, we don't want him picking up your driving record after all, now do we?"

He half-expected her sit up in bed right then just to give him a piece of her mind, as she always did when he gave her a hard time about her driving, and his heart sunk even lower when she didn't.

"I'll be the one to give him advice on girls and all that stuff, because that's what fathers do, but with our track records, his teenage years are going to be a real terror," he choked out, furiously blinking back tears. "He'll probably go through some sort of rebellion stage where he hates the world and thinks we're the enemy, and he won't listen to a word I say, but he'll listen to you. I know he will, because that kid adores you, Sami. He might decide he hates me for a while, but he'd never hate you."

Funny, but he'd always known that. Even when he was yelling at her, sneering that he was going to tell their son all about her unsavory past and make the kid hate her, he'd known in his heart that it just wasn't possible. Will loved Sami with the unconditional adoration that only a son could have for his mother.

The same kind of love that had made him willing to overlook his own mother's mistakes.

"So you're just going to have to wake up, alright, Sami?" Lucas asked hoarsely, lifting her limp hand to touch his lips. "No punching out just yet, and I mean it. You aren't leaving me to deal with that by myself. Will and I would drive each other crazy, you remember how I was at seventeen, I don't want to face that without you by my side."

He didn't want to face anything without her by his side.

It was funny, but even with her lying there in front of him, even listening to the hum of the monitors keeping watch over her vitals, it didn't seem possible. Sami couldn't die, she was like a cat with nine lives, and he refused to believe that her luck had finally run out, not when they were finally starting to find their way to the place they should have been all along.

She couldn't die, because how could he possibly tell his son that his mother was never coming home? It would destroy Will, just as much, if not more, than it would Lucas.

"You know, Will, uh..." he trailed off, overcome with emotion, and swallowed before trying again, blinking back tears with a soft gasp. "Will loves you, Sami. He loves you so much. You're his whole world, you know that? I mean, he thinks the sun rises and sets on you. You can't die, Sami, you can't, because he loves you too much for you to leave him."

He squeezed her clammy little hand as tightly as he could in his own, willing her to wake up, willing her to live. For Will, for him, for what might have been and what still could be...

"And so do I," he added in a hoarse whisper.

His heart almost broke at that confession, one he hadn't dared to speak aloud, much less to her. He'd wanted to, so many times, but then the fear would kick in and he'd inevitably do something or say something that would end up driving her away again. It had been his New Year's resolution that he would make sure this year was the year that he and Sami came together to be a real family with Will, and he'd told himself there was no hurry, that he could afford to take his time and win her over until there was no doubt left in his mind whether or not she felt the same way.

But now he was starting to realize that just wasn't true, because no one knew how much time they had.

His own words, the ones he'd spoken the night that Sami had been attacked in the alley behind Salem Place, came back to him now. _If you were to die thinking that... well, if you didn't know... _He'd had the perfect opportunity to tell her, and he'd blown in with some lame remark about wanting things to be different between them for Will's sake.

Sami was right, he really was an idiot.

"I love you, Sami," he said breathlessly, the words coming easier than he would have expected them to. "I love you so damn much. I think maybe I've always loved you, from the moment we conceived Will all those years ago, maybe even longer. I don't know when it happened, I just know that even when we were at each other's throats, I couldn't get you out of my system. I couldn't imagine not having you around to fight with, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't walk away."

He loved Sami for so many reasons, more than he could count. He loved the fire in her eyes, he loved her feistiness and her temper, he even loved the fact that she was possibly the single most stubborn woman to ever walk the earth. He loved the way she was with Will, the fierce protectiveness and unwavering love that she had for their son. He loved that she knew him so well, even after all these years as enemies, that she could still cut him to the heart without even trying.

He loved how she moved, the way she tilted her head ever so slightly when thinking. He loved that silky golden hair and those pale blue eyes, the tiny little freckle just above the right side of her mouth. He loved the way that she seemed to fit perfectly into his arms, the way her head rested in the crook of his neck. He loved the way there were stars in her eyes whenever he kissed her. He loved the way he could tell she felt safe in his arms, even when she was fighting it.

But most of all he loved the way that they completed each other, in every single way. Why had it taken them so long to realize that no two people were more perfect for one another?

Even Will could see it.

"Why do you have to be so damn difficult, huh, Sami?" Lucas asked with a trembling voice. "You're not stupid, I know you can see that I care about you, and I know you care about me, too. So why do you fight me every step of the way, huh? What are you so afraid of?"

He knew she'd been hurt in the past, and he had reveled in watching both Austin and Brandon leave town when things fell apart, in part because he liked to see her life turn out as ugly as his own. But another part of him, one that he had done his best to smother out over the years with little success, didn't think that either of them had deserved her. If they couldn't accept her for who she was, if they couldn't love her for it, not despite her flaws but for them, then they weren't good enough for her.

So, yes, her track record was pretty bad when it came to love, but his wasn't exactly a shining example, either. He jumped from woman to woman, searching endlessly for something that he couldn't quite identify, and had only recently realized was right in front of him all along. Carrie had been a challenge, an unattainable goal. Nicole had been a conquest, a trophy wife that he'd convinced himself he was in love with when it later became painfully clear that he wasn't. But Sami... Sami was the one.

"Sami, I want us to be a family, for real this time, just you, me and Will," Lucas choked out, his efforts to keep his tears at bay crumbling as they began to sear down his cheeks. "I want to give you everything you've ever dreamed of. I'll make you so happy, baby, I swear I will. I'll spend the rest of my life proving how much I love you if I have to. But you've got to wake up, sweetheart. I don't think I... I can't lose you, Sami. I can't. Please don't make me live without you."

He'd been trying so hard to keep it together, to stay strong, ever since Nicole had burst into Tuscany with the awful news. For Will, for Roman and Marlena, for Sami... but the truth was he didn't feel strong, not in the least. He felt weak and powerless, unable to do anything to help the woman he loved, and terrified that she was never going to wake up.

"Sami," he gasped, the floodgates of emotion threatening to overwhelm him. "Sami, I can't..." He squeezed his eyes shut tightly, trying to force back his tears, but with little success. "I can't do this...God, I can't..."

In all his life, there had only been one person who he didn't have put on airs for, one person who knew him inside and out, who saw the best and the worst of him, and accepted him just the way he was. Whether they were friends, enemies, lovers, or simply a parental unit trying their best to raise their son, Sami had been there every step of the way, and he couldn't imagine life without her.

"Please don't leave me, Sami," he begged, his voice thick with emotion as he leaned over her, burying his face in the rough material of her hospital gown while his shoulders shook with sobs. "Please don't leave me all alone."

What seemed like hours later, he lifted his head, his throat burning and his mouth dry as he took labored gasps of air to compose himself again. After a few moments had ticked by, he glanced over at the clock on the wall and gave a small, bitter laugh.

It was after midnight, the new year had begun and he hadn't even noticed. They'd all been intending to celebrate at the wedding reception, but since the wedding hadn't been completed, the reception had been called off. Maybe some of the guests were watching the ball drop and drinking a glass of wine or two at home, but he had a feeling that not many people felt like celebrating that night.

_I was going to kiss Sami at midnight,_ he thought with a wave of regret. It was a tradition in Salem that you were supposed to be with the person you loved as the old year ended and a new one began, a rather symbolic moment in his opinion, and it hadn't hurt that he would have had a perfectly good excuse to kiss her, either.

Not that he had ever really needed an excuse before.

Leaning over, he pressed a tender kiss to her clammy forehead, then pulled back to trace her cheekbone with his thumb, his heart breaking at how frail she looked. "Happy New Year, Sami," he whispered sadly.


	7. Chapter 7

**Matters of the Heart**

**Chapter Seven**

After nearly tripping over Belle's fuzzy pink slippers, which she had left at his place a few days prior in the middle of the hallway, Shawn-Douglas Brady managed to make it out to the living room in one piece.

Rex was slumped over on the couch, staring off into the distance, with Mimi curled up against him, resting her head on his shoulder while her arms snaked securely around his waist. As Shawn came to a halt at the edge of the room, he realized that Rex wasn't staring off at nothing as he'd assumed, but rather at something sitting on the shelf along the wall. Following the other man's gaze, Shawn felt a pang of sadness.

It was a framed photograph of Cassie.

From the scenery in the background of the picture, it looked like it had been taken at the DiMera mansion, probably sometime over the summer. She had a carefree smile on her face, reminding him of how innocent she had been when she first came to Salem, and the fact that she had been anything but by the time she died.

Shawn shook his head with regret, trying hard not to think about the nightmare that had occurred at Salem Place on Thanksgiving. Cassie had been a complicated girl, lonely and misunderstood, which wasn't all that surprising given her childhood. She had been genetically created in a lab and trapped there for most of her life, with only her twin brother Rex for company. Although she had been hung up on him and determined to seduce him away from Belle for a while, she had eventually given up on that idea, much to his relief, even more so when he discovered that her biological father was actually Roman Brady, making them cousins.

Only in Salem, Shawn thought, knowing that even trying to untangle the family trees that all seemed to intertwine at one point or another would give him a headache.

Venturing further into the room, he caught Mimi's attention as he neared the couch, and she lifted her head to offer him a tired smile. "What did your Dad say?" she asked, and Rex tore his gaze away from Cassie's picture to look up at him expectantly.

"You remember that blood sample Uncle Roman collected at the tree lot?" Shawn asked wearily, glancing at Rex nervously, uncertain how his cousin was going to react to the news. Losing Cassie had just about destroyed him, and then thinking that Tony was the killer had only made his grief that much more compounded.

"Yeah, what about it?" Rex asked with a confused frown.

"Apparently when they got Tony back to the station, he agreed to give a blood sample of his own," Shawn replied evenly. "Tek ran a test, and they don't match."

For a long moment the room was deathly silent. Mimi's eyes had widened and she was looking from him to Rex and back, clearly stunned. As for Rex, his face was blank, completely expressionless and hiding what was going through his head. Shawn hated the way Rex could do that, because he never knew what the guy was thinking or feeling until he decided to let it show.

Finally, just when Shawn couldn't take it anymore and was about to say something, Rex looked up at him, jaw clenched and eyes dark with a grim set. "I still think he did it," he said lowly.

"But if the blood samples didn't match..." Mimi argued.

"He has no alibi for any of the murders, we found the evidence on his PDA, and he was slinking around outside of Tuscany when Sami was attacked." Rex shook his head adamantly. "There is no way he's innocent!"

"I hope you're wrong," Shawn grunted. "Because they just released him from custody half an hour ago."

"What!" Rex demanded, on his feet with an explosion of anger, eyes blazing. "He murdered Cassie, not to mention four other people, and he just attacked Sami! Why the hell would they let that bastard go!"

"There wasn't enough evidence to hold him," Shawn muttered darkly.

"That's crazy," Rex raged, waving his arms, and for the first time Shawn noticed that Rex's face was just as expressive when he was angry as Sami's, not to mention the fact that his temper was just as short. "And now he's out there, free to kill his next victim!"

"Rex, sweetie," Mimi said gently. "We don't know that he's the killer."

"Who else could it be?" Rex asked incredulously. "I mean, every other suspect was inside at the wedding, remember?"

"Maybe it's somebody the police haven't even started to suspect yet," Mimi suggested.

"Or maybe Tony switched the blood sample," Rex retorted darkly.

"That's a possibility," Shawn conceded, making a mental note to run that by his father in the morning. "I think we all know Tony has the resources to do that. But when would he have had the time to do it?"

"Who knows," Rex shrugged. "And how do we know that the blood at the tree lot wasn't just staged, anyway? I mean, I know Roman fired the gun and all, but the killer got away, and I don't know about you, but I haven't seen anyone in town that looks like they've been shot recently."

"You have a point," Shawn agreed gravely. "I mean, no one actually saw the killer get shot. I know Uncle Roman said the killer stumbled to the ground for a second, but that doesn't mean they were hit."

"Exactly," Rex said triumphantly. "The cops made a big mistake releasing Tony from jail, and they're going to regret it when the next victim turns up."

"You mean after Sami?" Mimi said quietly.

"Yeah," Rex murmured. "After Sami."

Turning her head in his direction, Mimi looked at Shawn inquisitively. "Did your Dad have any news about her condition?"

Instinctively, Shawn's eyes darted to Rex, who was staring in the other direction. "No," he answered with regret, although he supposed that no news was better than bad news. "But Uncle Roman did call him to let him know that he was going home for a few hours, while Lucas stays with her."

"I'm glad he stayed," Mimi said with a small, secretive little smile, her eyes glittering like she knew something that they didn't. "He wouldn't have been able to get any sleep at home anyway."

"Yeah, because he probably feels like crap for locking her out of the wedding," Rex muttered under his breath.

Shawn stiffened, but Rex didn't seem to notice or to realize that his words might affect anyone in the room. Mimi gave Shawn a sympathetic look before turning to glare at the back of her boyfriend's head. "No one meant for Sami to get hurt, Rex," she said gently, but not without reprimand. "She was thrown out so that she wouldn't ruin your parents' wedding, remember? Lucas had no way of knowing what would happen, and neither did Shawn."

Rex looked up at that, giving Shawn a pained glance. "Sorry, man," he said quietly, and Shawn could practically see the frustration swirling within the other man. He knew the feeling, he hated being helpless to do anything, too. "I didn't mean... it's not your fault."

"It's not Lucas' fault, either, you know," Mimi pointed out.

A soft snort, barely audible, came from Rex, but he had the common sense not to open his mouth. Shawn wasn't sure whether or not Rex actually blamed Lucas for what had happened to Sami, or if he was just venting his inner turmoil and using his dislike for his half-brother as an outlet.

Considering that Shawn had played just as large a role in locking Sami out of Tuscany and Rex didn't seem to blame him, he was guessing that it was most likely the latter.

Still, that didn't mean that Shawn blamed himself any less. His parents had assured him it wasn't his fault at the hospital, but he couldn't help feeling responsible for what had happened to Sami. After all, he'd helped Lucas every step of the way, from hoisting her chair into the air to shoving a Christmas tree in front of the back tree to keep her out.

If they hadn't gone to such extremes, maybe Sami wouldn't be fighting for her life right now.

"You know, what?" Mimi said suddenly, with forced cheerfulness that made it clear she was trying to cheer them up. "I don't know why we're all worrying ourselves crazy anyway. It's not like Sami's never been in this position before, and she always pulls through stronger than ever. She survived a lethal injection and more than one car accident, remember, Shawn?"

"Yeah," Shawn nodded, feeling a faint surge of hope swell within him. "And she survived that Titan helicopter crash a few years back, too."

"And falling through the glass doors," Rex added quietly, a troubled look on his face.

Not wanting to give Rex's thoughts the chance to start churning over that bleak incident again, Shawn pressed on quickly. "And don't forget that she outmaneuvered the serial killer that night behind Salem Place. If she can thwart the killer once, she can do it again."

"Right," Mimi agreed with confidence that Shawn knew wasn't entirely sincere. "See? There's nothing to worry about, Sami's going to be fine."

_I hope so, anyway, _Shawn thought grimly, but wisely kept that thought to himself. In truth, he had doubts about whether or not Sami was going to survive this time, and it made him sad. Despite his differences with Sami, and there were times when they were too numerous to count, he had always admired her strength. She had become a single mother at eighteen, too young according to some people in town, and while she wasn't perfect, she had never failed Will when it counted.

Having grown up with Sami, he knew that there was more to her than the ruthless exterior she displayed, because he could still remember the pretty little blond girl who had included him when Eric and Max had insisted he was too young to play with them. Back then she had been a regular, well-adjusted kid, whom everyone had expected to grow up into a perfectly normal and well-adjusted adult, but things hadn't quite worked out that way. Her life had been irrevocably changed the day that she learned John Black was not her father, and the way he saw it things had just gone downhill from there.

Why hadn't anyone ever suggested that Marlena get the twins into therapy after that whole mess? Finding out that your father was not your father would be enough to traumatize anyone, especially at that age.

Sometimes Shawn wondered if any of the adults in town had any common sense at all.

A flicker of movement caught his eye, and he blinked, shaking off his reverie, to see Rex flexing his arm, staring down at the bandage where the doctors had drawn blood at the hospital. Mimi glanced over at her boyfriend and rose to her feet to lay a hand on his arm.

"I'm really proud of you for giving blood for Sami, you know," she said softly. "And I'm sure Roman and Marlena really appreciate it."

"I know they do," Shawn nodded his agreement. "And so does the rest of our family." It occurred to him after he spoke that 'our family' didn't only apply to his, Roman and Sami's family, but to Rex's, as well. "I bet it will mean a lot to Sami, too."

"Don't count on it," Rex snorted, rolling his eyes, but the gesture seemed halfhearted, almost as if he hoped that Shawn was right.

"You never know," Mimi shrugged simply. "She may surprise you."

Rex grunted to himself, but remained silent.

"I wonder how Belle is holding up right now," Mimi murmured, and glanced at Shawn inquisitively.

"I tried calling her cell phone, but she didn't answer," Shawn replied with a sigh, dropping down into the chair across from the couch. "I guess she forgot to take it off of silence after leaving the hospital."

"At least she's with her parents and Brady," Mimi responded with a weak smile. "A girl needs her family at a time like this."

"Yeah," Shawn agreed quietly, remembering how hysterical Belle had been outside of Tuscany. He hoped that Brady and John had been able to calm her down some, because she'd still been pretty worked out when they left the hospital. "I think that goes for just about the whole town right now."

"It's scary, huh?" Mimi asked quietly. "How many people we've lost, how long this killer has been on the loose?"

"The police are doing everything they can to catch him," Shawn promised. "And after tonight, I have a feeling that Uncle Roman and my parents won't rest until they find the killer. Our family has been under siege for too long."

Rex muttered something about the capabilities of the police force that Shawn pretended not to hear. Part of him agreed with Rex, even though he refused to admit it. How many people had to die at the hands of this maniac before they caught him? Abe, Jack, Maggie, Caroline and Cassie were all gone, and there was a good chance that Sami might be, too.

_None of us are safe, _Shawn realized with dread. _The killer could strike anywhere, anytime, at anyone. _

"I just hope that it's all over soon," Mimi said softly. "And I want Sami to just wake up."

"Me, too," Shawn murmured, and for a moment he could see the little girl he had grown up with again in his mind, blond curls falling over her shoulders and that grin that their grandmother had always insisted could melt an iceberg. "If she doesn't, I don't think my grandfather's heart can take it. Losing Grandma Caroline tore him apart, and to lose Sami, too..."

Rex turned away abruptly, glaring out the window with a clenched jaw, and Mimi looked after him with a sad, pained look on her face. After a moment of hesitation, she moved towards him, wrapping her arms around him from behind and resting her chin on his shoulder.

"How are you holding up?" she asked.

"I don't know," Rex admitted with a sigh of frustration. "I mean, Sami and I don't get along. At all. But she's still my sister and I... I just really want to kill this bastard, you know?"

"We all do, man," Shawn assured him grimly.

"It's just, this maniac already took away one of my sisters," Rex replied, his voice hoarse with anger, and something else that sounded suspiciously like sorrow. "I lost Cassie. I don't want..."

"You don't want to lose Sami, too," Mimi finished knowingly. "It's okay to say it, Rex, just because you and Sami have some issues to work out doesn't mean that you can't care about her. You two have more in common than just genetics, you know, maybe someday you'll be able to be friends."

"Maybe," Rex grunted, looking away towards the window.

Sensing that now might be a good time to leave the two of them alone for a bit, Shawn rose to his feet and stretched his arms a little. "It's been a long night," he said, running a hand through his hair. "I'm going to head in to bed."

"Okay," Mimi turned her head a little to flash him a grateful smile. "Goodnight, Shawn."

"Night, Meems," he replied with a nod, starting towards his room. "Night, Rex."

"Night," Rex murmured absently, without looking up.

When he reached the foot of the staircase, Shawn paused and glanced back into the living room. Mimi was still standing there with her arms wrapped around her boyfriend in a silent, comforting embrace, and Rex was still staring out the window.

He had just stepped onto the first step when he heard Rex speak in a low, almost fragile whisper. "Mimi?"

"Hmm?" she asked.

"Do you think Cassie's disappointed in me?" Rex asked. "For not being able to protect her?"

"Oh, Rex, baby," Mimi whispered, her heart clearly breaking for him. "No. Cassie loved you, and she knew you loved her. It wasn't your fault, there was nothing you could have done for her."

"Maybe," Rex agreed begrudgingly. "But..."

"There wasn't anything you could have done for Sami, either," Mimi responded, seeming to know precisely where his train of thought had turned. "I know you want vengeance, Rex, but, please, leave it to the police, okay? They'll find the real killer."

"They've already let the real killer go," Rex said in disgust. "Tony's free, remember?"

"Maybe he really didn't do it," Mimi said gently. "If they find the killer and it's not him, what are you going to do? Are you going to apologize and try to work things out with him?"

There was a long stretch of silence, and Shawn was about to start up the stairs again, figuring Rex wasn't going to answer, but then he heard a heavy sigh come from the living room.

"I don't know," Rex mumbled. "I'm not a DiMera, Mimi, how long have you been trying to get me to accept that? But I don't know if I'm ready to be a Brady, either. I don't really belong anywhere, now that Cassie's gone."

"That's not true," Mimi assured him. "You belong with me, Rex."

As he headed to his bedroom, Shawn made a mental note to try and get Rex to go with him to the hospital in the morning to check on Sami. He was pretty sure that Rex would agree to that without much prodding, and maybe, just maybe, he could get him to talk to Roman.

With the killer still on the loose, now wasn't the time to put things off, and he had a feeling that Rex needed the chance to figure out where he really belonged, before it was too late.


	8. Chapter 8

**Matters of the Heart**

**Chapter Eight**

The first thing that pierced the hazy fog around her mind was a distant, echoing beeping sound.

She latched onto the noise, trying to find its source, and the beeping began to grow louder as the world around her shifted. A tingling sensation went through her, and slowly she could feel her body coming back to life, stiff and sore. Her head was pounding, and she felt incredibly dizzy, but at least she was starting to regain conscious thought and awareness.

Her eyelids felt heavy, but somehow they managed to flutter open, and she instantly regretted it. The harsh white lights above her were painful, and she squeezed her eyes tight against the intruding light. After a few moments, she tentatively let her eyes drift open, blinking as they adjusted from the darkness where she'd been floating for what seemed like years.

The beeping noise was still present, and as she blinked up at the ceiling, she was finally able to place it. It was a vitals monitor, which meant she was in the hospital. That made sense, given the sickeningly white walls around her, and the sterilized taste to the air.

But what the hell was she doing in the hospital?

Squinting, she turned her head slightly, and found there was someone else in the room, seated in the chair beside her bed, asleep in what looked like a very uncomfortable position. It took a minute for her groggy mind to identify him through her blurry vision, but once she did, her heart swelled with an emotion she couldn't really identify.

Not for the first time, she wondered how she could have ever mistaken Will to be Austin's son, when he clearly looked so much like Lucas. Even his mannerisms were the same as his father's, something that had simultaneously annoyed and endeared her in the past. Back when things had been especially dark and cold between her and Lucas, when her heart had felt like it could never be whole again, sometimes she had just watched Will sleep, marveling in how beautiful a child they had created together. In some ways their friendship, that deep and powerful bond that was stronger than anything she had ever felt in her life, had lived on in him.

A small smile touched her dry, cracked lips at the sight of Lucas sleeping at her bedside. He looked much younger in his sleep, more like the boy she had met all those years ago, but less brash and certainly less arrogant. Of course, she'd always rather liked him that way, but she would never admit it.

His ego was big enough as it was.

At that moment, he began to stir, waking up, and she decided he had good timing; she hadn't even had to throw anything at him. His eyes fluttered open and he stretched, then froze in mid-yawn, his eyes widening when he saw her watching him. It was almost comical, the expression of pure shock on his face right then, and she smiled faintly.

"Sami," Lucas breathed in relief, and his dark eyes looked like they were shimmering with liquid. "Oh God, Sami... you're awake."

Sami swallowed hard, her throat dry and scratchy, and parted her lips to reply, but fell silent when Lucas suddenly pushed to his feet. He leaned over her, placing his hands on either side of her head, and brought his forehead down to rest against hers.

Her eyes fell closed for a few moments, his familiar scent tingled her nostrils, and when her eyelids opened again, she noticed a solitary tear sliding down his cheek and frowned. Why was he crying?

"Lucas?" she rasped, and winced at the rough, hoarse sound of her own voice.

He didn't respond at first, but after a few heartbeats, he straightened, opening his eyes and offering her a trembling smile. "For future reference," he drawled sarcastically, but there was a faint quiver to his voice. "There are easier ways to stop a wedding, Sami."

Sami frowned, confused, but then realization finally kicked in. Her father and Kate had been getting married at Tuscany! But if what Lucas had just said was true, then the wedding hadn't happened, and she'd been the one to stop it.

"What happened?" she croaked, looking down at the IV in her arm and shuddering.

Lucas looked taken aback for a moment, then he carefully asked, "You don't remember?"

Furrowing her brow, Sami tried to remember what had happened. She knew she had gone to Tuscany with the intention of doing whatever she had to in order to prevent her father from marrying Kate, but he hadn't listened to her, had he? She had a faint recollection of Lucas shoving something into her mouth to keep her from objecting, and being carried outside...

Where the Salem Stalker had cornered her.

Her eyes widened in alarm as she remembered her desperate struggle with the masked killer, and the gleam of a knife flashing towards her. There had been so much pain, and the killer had been standing over her ready to finish her off, but he hadn't.

"Brady," Sami breathed, remembering her stepbrother's face hovering over her as the world around her faded away.

"Yeah, Brady was there," Lucas said gently, his tone encouraging as he rubbed her back. "Do you remember what happened now?"

Swallowing hard, she nodded, her eyes welling with tears. "The killer snuck up on me," she informed him, her weak voice faltering for a moment. "He stabbed me."

Instinctively, her hand went to her stomach, which was covered by a mint green hospital gown, but Lucas stilled her hand with his own before it got there. "Lexie worked on you at the scene," he told her, squeezing her fingers. "They stabilized you once we got you to the emergency room, and they stitched you up. You probably shouldn't mess with that yet, sweetheart."

"Lexie?" she echoed, wrinkling her nose.

"Yeah," Lucas nodded, and she noticed that he hadn't let go of her hand yet. "Nicole came inside to get help in the middle of the ceremony. Lexie had her bag in the car, so she was able to help until the paramedics arrived."

"She doesn't like me," Sami pointed out hoarsely.

Lucas gave her a wry smile, finally releasing her hand to adjust her pillow behind her so that she could prop herself up easier. "She's a doctor, Sami, she doesn't have to like you to save your life."

Sami made a face, but decided not to argue, she was feeling kind of tired, anyway. Besides, she'd heard the subtle reprimand in Lucas' words, and he was right. She probably should be a little grateful to Lexie Carver for saving her life, whether she liked the older woman or not. After all, she wasn't exactly Lexie's favorite person, and the good doctor had still come through for her.

"How are you feeling?" Lucas asked with concern. "Are you in any pain?"

"A little," Sami replied, grimacing as she shifted to get more comfortable. "My stomach."

"I'll talk to Lexie about getting you some morphine or something, then," Lucas promised, settling back in his chair. He hadn't taken his eyes off of her for even a second since waking up, which would have normally unnerved her, but after her ordeal it was oddly comforting to have him there, even if he was staring at her like she'd just grown a second head.

"Thanks," she murmured, and closed her eyes for a moment, trying to remember anything about her attack that might be of use to identify the killer. While the attack itself was clear in mind now, she couldn't seem to pinpoint anything that stood out about the masked killer, save those chilling, bottomless eyes.

Despite herself, she shivered, almost able to feel the killer's eyes on her all over again. Her breathing quickened, and for a moment the panic and fear came rushing back at her, the desolate knowledge that she was going to die all alone, that no one was coming to save her...

"Sami?"

She nearly jumped out of her skin when Lucas spoke, tentatively touching her hand. Taking a deep, shuddering breath, she opened her eyes to look up at him. He was nothing but a watery blur at first, the tears had resurfaced of their own accord, but after blinking her eyelashes a few times he came back into focus.

"You were thinking about last night, weren't you?" he asked quietly, concern evident in his dark eyes as he leaned towards her.

"I called for you..." she rasped. "But you didn't come."

"I'm sorry, sweetheart, I couldn't hear you," Lucas swallowed, blinking back tears of his own. "I didn't know. If I had, I would have come... you know that, right?"

Sami nodded weakly, her eyes fluttering in exhaustion.

"I'm just so glad you're okay," he told her gently, voice thick with emotion as he squeezed her hand tightly in his. "I was so afraid that..."

"That what?" Sami asked breathlessly, that strange tickling sensation that she'd come to expect when Lucas was in close proximity stirring in her stomach.

Lucas licked his lips and hesitated, as if he was trying to find the right words. "That, uh, that you were going to make us sweat it out for a few days," he finally replied flatly.

"Oh," Sami murmured, deflating a little at his answer.

"Sami," Lucas whispered, and she lifted her gaze to meet his expectantly. He didn't speak, just raised a hand to brush a loose strand of hair behind her ear. It was Sami's turn to swallow, and he smiled faintly when he noticed it, before leaning in to give her a gentle, feather-light kiss. Her heart skipped a beat as he drew back, still looking at her with that tender look in his eyes, although he couldn't resist smirking. "Try not to give us another scare like this for at least a few months, okay?"

She flashed him a ghost of a smile, ignoring the flutter of emotions he'd just caused in her. "I'll do my best, General."

Lucas smiled at her old nickname for him, but his smiled faded a moment later, and she saw something akin to guilt flicker across his face. "It's my fault you were attacked," he muttered, shaking his head. "I should never have locked you out like that, not when I knew that monster was on the loose out there-"

"Not your fault," Sami assured him hoarsely, giving a slight shrug of her shoulders, and wincing when that movement tugged at her stomach muscles. "Didn't know."

"No, I didn't," Lucas agreed somberly, a pained look in his dark eyes. "But it's still my fault that you got hurt."

"No," Sami shook her head, careful to restrict the movement so as not to inadvertently cause herself any more pain.

"No?" Lucas echoed, almost hopefully.

"No," she repeated with a faint smile. She didn't have the heart to hold it against him, not when she could clearly see how he had tortured himself with guilt all night. Besides, it really wasn't his fault, now was it? He'd just been trying to keep her from ruining his mother's wedding day.

Of course, she'd managed to stop the ceremony after all, even if it hadn't been the way she planned.

Hopefully there was still time to talk some sense into her father before he made the biggest mistake of his life, because there was absolutely no way she was going to allow Lucas to become her stepbrother!

They shared a son together, after all, the very idea of making them any form of siblings was just wrong.

"We were all really worried about you, you know," Lucas told her, and she gave a soft snort. "I mean it, Sami. Your parents were just devastated, and Belle was a wreck."

Sami's expression softened at the mention of her little sister. She loved the girl dearly, but Belle was a bit delicate when it came to the hard things in life. The serial killings had left Belle quite shaken, and none of the victims had even been people she was that close to.

_She probably had a meltdown last night, then,_ Sami thought with a faint smile of affection for her sister. Belle could be a bit self-absorbed at times, but she supposed that was to be expected at that stage in life, especially when Belle hadn't had to endure half of the things she had by that time.

"You've got so many people who love you, sweetheart," Lucas insisted. "Your grandfather was here, and so were John, Bo, Hope, Shawn, Brady, Chloe, Rex and Mimi. Uncle Mickey, Mom and Philip were here for a while, too."

"Your Mom was probably rooting for me to bite the dust," Sami rolled her eyes.

"Hey, that's not true," Lucas protested sternly. "She really loves your Dad, Sami. I'm not going to bother saying she likes you, because it'd be a waste of breath, but she doesn't want you dead."

"Too bad she didn't have this change of heart a few years ago," Sami muttered with a scowl, giving him a pointed look. "I could have used it back then, like in Italy."

"I've apologized for that, Sami," Lucas said quietly, and there was genuine regret in his eyes.

"I know, but has Kate?" Sami demanded, huffing in annoyance as anger began to creep into her system. "She says she wants to make peace with me, but she acts like I don't have good reason to hate her! Until she admits that she's tried to kill me over and over again, she can kiss any chance of us burying the hatchet goodbye."

"Well, you know that isn't going to happen, Sami," Lucas replied wearily. "So maybe we should talk about something else, okay? I don't think it's good for you to get worked up right now."

"Fine by me," Sami folded her arms over her chest stubbornly, eyeing him curiously. "You said that Rex was here?"

"Yeah, he's the one whose blood they used in your transfusion," Lucas nodded. "I don't get that kid sometimes, I thought you two hated each other."

"We do," Sami murmured absently, but she couldn't help remembering that Rex had come to visit her the last time she was in the hospital, too.

"Anyway, your parents stayed for a while after everyone else left so they could sit with you," Lucas commented. "They finally headed home, though, to get some sleep."

"But you stayed," she said softly, more of an observation than a question. She didn't miss the double meaning to her own words, and gave a silent laugh at the irony of the fact that it was true. Out of all the people in her life, Lucas was the one person who had every reason to leave, and yet he was the one person who never had.

"I couldn't go," Lucas replied quietly, his brow furrowing slightly. "I needed to be with you."

"Yeah, I know, for Will," Sami muttered, looking down at her hospital gown.

"For both of us," Lucas corrected, and she looked up in surprise, her gaze locking with his. After a moment, she looked away again, not wanting to face the unspoken emotions she saw there, and uncertain whether or not she could trust herself to keep gazing into his eyes much longer without doing something stupid.

"Will?" she asked weakly, not bothering to clarify what she meant when she knew Lucas would know what she was asking.

"He's fine, I sent him home with Mom last night, and your Dad ended up staying there, so he's in good hands," Lucas told her with a reassuring smile. "He's going to be so thrilled to hear you woke up, though, Sami. That kid was just a mess when he found out you'd been attacked. He really loves you, you know that?"

Sami nodded. "I love him, too."

"I know you do," Lucas replied, his smile softening as he gazed at her, his thumb absently running over her knuckles. "You're a really good mother, Sami, and I'm glad that Will has you."

She gave him a tearful smile in response, touched not only by his words, but the sincerity behind them. Too many times in the past they had accused one another of being horrible parents, but the truth was that they both loved Will more than anything in the whole world, and they were always trying their best to do right by him, even if they did make a few mistakes along the way.

"I should probably go call him," Lucas said with a rueful chuckle. "If I wait any longer, he'll probably throw a fit since I promised to call right away when you woke up. I need to get a hold of your family and let them know, too."

"Okay," Sami nodded, then hesitated a moment, biting her lip. "Are you going to come back?"

Lucas gave her a tender smile as he rose to his feet. "Sweetheart, you couldn't get rid of me if you tried," he informed her, leaning over to press a kiss to her forehead. "I'll grab Lexie on my way to the phone and let her know you're awake, okay? She'll probably want to check you over and all."

"Great," Sami groaned, eliciting a wink from Lucas as he headed for the door. He gave her one last smile before disappearing out into the hallway, closing the door behind him, and Sami sighed, leaning back against her pillow.

She couldn't believe that Lucas had stayed the entire night at her bedside, in a chair that looked anything but comfortable. Her heart had soared of its own accord when the first thing she saw after opening her eyes was him sitting next to her bed, but she hadn't expected him to admit that he'd stayed not just for Will, but for himself, as well.

Glancing at the clock on the wall, she grimaced, wondering how much sleep he had actually been able to get. It was still early, much earlier than she had been planning to be awake on New Year's Day, and Lucas looked even more exhausted than she felt.

Maybe she should tell him to go get himself some coffee or something when he came back, he looked like he needed it.

There was a knock at her door, and she looked up as Lexie Carver stepped into the room, her stethoscope hanging over her white lab coat. "Lucas said you were awake," the other woman smiled, with a surprising amount of warmth in her voice, Sami noticed, considering the bad blood between them. "How are you feeling?"

"Like someone ran me over with a truck," Sami answered honestly.

Lexie gave her a sympathetic nod. "I'm not surprised, you really took some damage last night, Sami. You'd lost almost seven units of blood, and probably would have lost more if not for Brady's quick thinking."

"Brady?" Sami asked in confusion. "I thought you were the one who...?"

"I slowed your blood flow until the paramedics arrived," Lexie explained gently. "But Brady had already begun to apply pressure to the wound by the time I made it to the scene, and those first minutes are critical. He probably saved your life, as much as any of the doctors who worked on you last night did."

"Oh," Sami said softly, and gave a faint shake of her head. She remembered her stepbrother's frantic voice calling her name as his face hovered over hers just before everything had gone dark, and smiled to herself, making a mental note to try and be nicer to Brady in the future.

After all, it's what Isabella would want.

_Was that real?_ she wondered wistfully. _Were you really there, Isabella? _

She didn't remember much after losing consciousness; expect that she'd felt safe, even in the darkness surrounding her.

Maybe Isabella really had been there with her, after all.

"How much pain are you in?" Lexie inquired as she lifted the hospital gown to inspect the tender area where Sami was guessing she had been stabbed.

"It doesn't hurt too much when I lay still," Sami admitted with a grimace as Lexie's fingers gently prodded her stomach. "But moving pretty much sucks."

"That's normal in a situation like this," Lexie assured her, without looking up from what she was doing. "I'll have a morphine drip hooked up for you as soon as possible."

"Thanks," Sami murmured.

A few moments later, Lexie took a step back and began to jot something down on the clipboard she'd walked in with. Sami watched her anxiously, curious what she was writing, and tapped her fingers on bedrail absently while waiting.

"Things look good right now," Lexie said when she finally looked up again. "The stitches have held nicely and there doesn't look like there's been any internal leakage, but we'll do a more thorough check later this morning. Right now there doesn't seem to be anything to worry about."

Sami let out a breath of relief that she hadn't even realized she'd been holding. There was a long pause of silence in the room as Lexie opened her mouth, then closed it again, clearly trying to figure out how to say something.

"I know this is probably too little, too late," Lexie managed with an apologetic frown. "But I really am sorry for accusing you of being the killer, Sami."

For a minute Sami was tempted to snap back that she better be, but she managed to swallow that nasty remark. "You were grieving," she said instead, giving Lexie what she hoped was an encouraging smile, even though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "I probably would have reacted the same way if I'd been in your shoes."

Lexie gave a relieved nod. "You should probably get some rest," she advised, glancing down at her clipboard. "Lucas is calling your family, so I'm sure you'll be having visitors soon, and you might want to conserve your strength for that."

"Okay," Sami agreed.

"I'll check back in on you soon," Lexie promised, and started for the door.

"Lexie?" Sami called, steeling herself to say the words she never thought she'd say to Abe's widow. "Thank you for saving my life."

Lexie gave her what was probably the least guarded smile she'd ever received from the woman. "It's my job, remember? I'm just glad I was there to help."

After she left, Sami leaned her head back against her pillow and closed her eyes, intending to take Lexie's advice and try to get some rest before her family showed up, but it was no use. The hospital room felt strangely empty and cold, and she just couldn't keep her eyes shut for more than a few seconds before the fear started to crawl up her spine again.

Sighing, she resigned herself to counting the ceiling tiles overhead. Maybe she'd be able to sleep later, after Lexie got her some of that morphine she'd been promised for the pain. After reaching thirty, she gave up, deciding it was better to be bored out of her mind than stare at the ceiling any longer.

Just then the door opened, and she gave Lucas an annoyed look. "Finally," she muttered. "What took you so long?"

"What's wrong, Sami?" he retorted, shutting the door behind him with a smirk. "Miss me?"

Sami scoffed. "Yeah, right."

Lucas just smiled knowingly as he made his way back to the chair beside her bed. "Will wouldn't stop asking questions, and then I had to call the penthouse to let your Mom and John know you were awake. Brace yourself, I think we're about to get a stampede in here in a few minutes."

"Lexie better hurry up with that morphine, then," Sami groaned.

"I saw her in the hall, she said it would be here shortly," Lucas assured her. "In the meantime..."

Sami blinked and stared at the cup he produced from behind his back. "What is it?" she asked suspiciously.

"Ice chips," Lucas replied, shaking it so that the ice rattled a little. "Sorry it's not something better. I would have brought you a soda, but I think Lexie might have smacked me with that clipboard of hers if I tried it."

"Thanks," Sami smiled faintly, taking the offered cup and crunching some ice in her mouth. The cold chips felt good on her dry throat, and only then did she realize how thirsty she really was. A few minutes later, she had finished off all the ice and handed the cup back to Lucas with a sheepish look. "Guess I was kind of dehydrated."

"Don't worry about it," Lucas smiled. "I'll get you some more when Lexie brings in the morphine."

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Sami asked with a frown.

"Do I need a reason to be nice to you?" Lucas responded.

"Yes," Sami said bluntly. "You don't like me, remember?"

"Sami," Lucas sighed, shaking his head. "Sometimes you are really stupid, you know that?"

Sami opened her mouth to make a biting reply, but he covered her mouth with his hand, so she had to content herself with glaring at him.

"You know I like you," Lucas said firmly, a hint of reprimand in his tone as his dark eyes bored into hers as he took her hand in his for what seemed like the hundredth time since she woke up. "I've always liked you, from the day we met. I admit there have been times when I wasn't exactly fond of you-" Sami snorted at the understatement, but he continued on, ignoring her. "But I like you. I fact, I..."

He trailed off with a conflicted expression, and Sami's heart forgot to beat for a moment, leaving her feeling a bit lightheaded.

"You what?" she whispered when Lucas didn't finish his thought.

"I like you almost more than anyone," Lucas said with a smile, but she thought she caught a glimmer of frustration behind it. "Even if you do irritate the hell out of me."

"Look who's talking," Sami shot back lightly, and despite her disappointment that he hadn't said what she thought he was going to say, she couldn't help feeling warmed by the words he did say, and the affectionate look in his eyes. He'd been looking at her that way more and more over the past year, and it reminded her of better times, back when it had been the two of them against the world.

She missed that.

Lexie came back in just then to set up the morphine drip, but Sami didn't take her eyes off of Lucas as he inquired about more ice chips to Lexie, all the way squeezing her hand in his, absently running his thumb over her knuckles.

The morphine kicked in quickly, and Sami soon found her eyelids fluttering closed. Lucas promised to wake her up if she was still asleep when her visitors arrived, so she gave in to her exhaustion and started to drift off, finally able to close her eyes without remembering the attack.

As sleep overtook her, though, she wondered if it was really the morphine that allowed her the feeling of safety required to fall asleep.

Or if maybe it had something to do with the man sitting at her bedside, still holding her hand.


	9. Chapter 9

**Matters of the Heart**

**Chapter Nine**

Yawning, Belle Black rose onto her toes to open the cabinet overhead and pull out a blue ceramic bowl. She let the cabinet door swing closed and tugged open the drawer just under the counter, getting out a spoon, and sat her dishes down on the table before padding across the kitchen floor barefoot to the pantry.

Special K, Shredded Wheat, Honey Bunches of Oats... she made a face and started to rummage into the back of the pantry, looking for something better. She finally found a half-empty box of Lucky Charms, which were kept on hand for when Will occasionally had breakfast at the penthouse, and decided that would have to do.

She grabbed the milk on the way back to the table and filled the bowl with cereal, snagging a pink balloon marshmallow and popping it in her mouth. She added the milk and left it sitting on the table, knowing Brady would want it when he came downstairs. He'd been shaving in the bathroom when she got up, so he'd probably be down in a few minutes anyway.

Belle yawned again, sinking down into one of the chairs around the table, exhausted and more than a little hungry. She hadn't really eaten much last night, after seeing her sister attacked, she'd lost her appetite.

And a lot of sleep.

It wasn't the first nightmare she'd had since the killings began, but it was probably the worst. She'd seen Sami lying there in the snow all over again, but this time Brady had been slumped over next to her, and her parents had been sprawled in the bushes, all four of them covered in crimson blood. That was her biggest fear during this dark time of uncertainty, that by the time it was over her entire family would be dead.

Abe, Jack and Maggie had all been kind to her over the years, and for a while she had believed Cassie to be her half-sister, even though they had almost always been at each other's throats, but out of all the murders so far, she grieved the most for Caroline Brady. The woman had been grandmother to both her sister Sami and her boyfriend Shawn, and they had been devastated by her death. She'd tried to comfort them as best she could, of course, but she hadn't really understood their pain.

Until now.

Belle knew she hadn't always been the best sister to Sami, more often than not she was so wrapped up in her own issues that she didn't have time to pay much attention to Sami's problems, but her sister had to know that she loved her, right? Any time that she needed her, Sami was always there, no matter how busy she was, no matter what was going on in her own life. Because that's what sisters did, they gave you advice when you needed it and cheered you up when you were sad and believed in you no matter what.

And Belle only had one sister, she couldn't afford to lose Sami.

Sighing, she dipped her spoon into her cereal and was about to take a bite when the phone rang.

Groaning, she dropped her spoon back into the bowl and pushed her chair out from under her, wearily making her way over to the phone on the wall. "Hello?" she asked groggily.

"Belle?" a familiar voice asked eagerly.

"Yeah," she yawned, cradling the phone to the side of her face as she glanced over at the clock on the microwave. "Lucas? Why are you calling so early?"

"Sorry about that," Lucas replied, not sounding apologetic in the least. "I just wanted to let your family know that Sami is awake. I just left her room, Lexie is in with her now, checking her over, but I think that she's going-"

It had taken a few moments for what he was saying to break through the morning haze in her brain, but once it sunk in, her eyes widened in shock. "Are you serious?" she practically shrieked, breakfast completely forgotten now. "She's really awake?"

"Yes," Lucas said in a strange tone, almost as if his ears were ringing. "She woke up about ten minutes ago."

"Oh my God!" Belle cried shrilly, tears of relief streaming down her cheeks. "Oh my God, oh my God!"

Distantly, she was aware of footsteps pounding down the stairs, and she looked up just as the kitchen door swung open. Her father looked pale and out of breath, as if he'd just run all the way from his bedroom, and Brady still had shaving cream on one side of his jaw.

"What is it?" John demanded worriedly. "Why did you yell?"

"And who's on the phone?" Brady asked with a frown, not looking too pleased at having had his shaving time interrupted.

"It's Lucas," Belle told them excitedly, unable to stop crying or smiling. "Sami's awake!"

It was almost comical the affect those two little words had on her father and brother. In an instant, Brady's annoyance gave way to a look of utter relief, and her father closed his eyes, his shoulders sagging as if a great weight had just been lifted off his chest.

John opened his eyes a heartbeat later and crossed the kitchen in three quick strides, taking the phone from Belle's hands. "Lucas?" he said into the receiver, and then paused to listen to whatever Lucas was saying. "Thank God," her father sighed, his voice thick with emotion, and though he had his back to her, Belle had a feeling that there were tears in his eyes. "I knew she'd pull through. Samantha's too stubborn not to."

Despite his brave words, Belle heard the slight tremble to his voice, and knew that he hadn't been sure at all. He had held her while she sobbed into his arms the night before, whispering reassurances that she realized now had been little more than prayers. John had been just as scared as she was, scared that he might lose a daughter who refused to acknowledge him as a father.

It hurt Belle to see Sami treat her father the way she did, lashing out at him at every turn and accusing him of going to kill their mother, and she knew it hurt her father, too. She just couldn't understand why Sami seemed to hate the man who had raised her so much, and anytime that she tried to breach the subject with someone, whether it be her mother, Brady, her father, Shawn, or even Sami herself, she was told to leave it alone.

But it was hard to stay out of it when two people she loved so much, and who she knew deep down still loved each other, couldn't even be in the same room without a fight breaking out. It was usually Sami who started it, but lately she had noticed that her father seemed to have less and less patience for her sister's attitude.

Maybe now that Sami was recovering from her attack, she could get the two of them to realize that life was just too short for them to keep up all that bitterness between them.

After all, who knew who the killer would strike next? Now was not the time to be leaving things unsaid.

"Have you called Roman yet?" John asked into the phone, then nodded with a short laugh. "Uh huh, yeah, that's good. I bet Will was just thrilled when you told him, huh?"

Belle smiled at the mention of her young nephew, and her heart swelled with relief all over again. Will was a remarkably mature little boy, but he was still just a child and losing his mother would have destroyed him. Sami had nearly lost her life several times in the past, but Will had been too young to understand what was going on back then. This time he'd been fully aware of the dark situation, and he'd reacted exactly the way Belle would have in his place- by lashing out at those around him, especially his father.

She knew she should have felt bad for Lucas when Will blamed him for Sami's attack, but the truth was at the time she was a little angry with Lucas herself. Shawn had helped him lock Sami out of the wedding, but it had been Lucas' plan, and she couldn't understand why he hadn't just locked her in Maggie's old office or something, instead of trapping her outside in the frigid night air, with a killer on the loose.

But she had seen him in the waiting room at the hospital, and he'd been a mess, just as shaken as the rest of them, and she hadn't had the heart to blame him when he clearly blamed himself. Besides, hadn't her father said just last night that Sami and Lucas were trying to be friends again or something?

"Yeah, you're right, you should probably head back in there," John spoke again after a long pause of silence. "I know how much Sami hates hospitals, some company might take her mind off of that. Right, don't worry, we'll be down as soon as we're all dressed."

Glancing down at her pajamas and slippered feet, Belle wrinkled her nose in agreement. She certainly couldn't go to the hospital dressed like that, and she needed a shower first, too. Brady was at least halfway dressed, wearing jeans and a white wife-beater tank top, and her father looked like he had been showered and dressed for some time already.

_Guess that means they're going to be stuck waiting on me, _Belle sighed to herself.

"Thank you for calling, Lucas, I really appreciate it," John said into the phone. "Give Sami our love, okay? We'll see you both soon."

He hung up the phone and took a moment to himself before turning to face them, his eyes still a bit damp. Belle pounced on him right away, hugging him around the waist. "I'm so glad she's okay," she murmured into his shirt, her own eyes welling with tears.

"Me, too, kiddo," John replied softly, resting his chin on her head for a moment, then he pulled back and looked over at Brady. "You probably want to swing by Victor's first to get Chloe and check in with your grandfather, but I'm going to go ahead and take the girls over to the hospital as soon as they're ready to go."

"I'll meet you guys over there later," Brady nodded. "I told Chloe I'd have breakfast with her at the mansion, so I'll go call her and tell her that Sami's awake. Once we're done eating, we'll make our way over to the hospital, too."

"Okay," John agreed. "Sounds like a plan to me. Belle, I-"

Just then the kitchen door swung open and Belle looked over her shoulder to find her mother had just stepped into the room. Marlena's gaze swept across the room, taking in the fact that John was standing next to the phone, that Brady was only half-dressed with shaving cream still on his face, that Belle had her arms around her father.

"What's going on?" she asked fearfully, obviously afraid of the worst.

"Mom, Sami's okay," Belle told her with a grin, disentangling herself from her father and taking a step towards Marlena. "She's awake!"

One of her mother's hands flew to her mouth, the other to her heart, and tears began to well in Marlena's eyes. "She... she's awake?" she asked hoarsely, as if afraid to believe it. She looked to John, eyes pleading. "John?"

"She's awake," he confirmed, stepping forward with his arms opened, and she fell into his embrace, crying in relief as he hugged her to him. "Everything's going to be okay now, Doc," he added in a thick whisper. "Don't cry."

"My little girl," Marlena wept, clutching the front of his shirt in relief. "Oh thank God. John, I... I had the worst dreams last night. I thought... I thought we were going to lose her forever."

"No one is going to lose anyone," John promised, voice gruff with emotion. "This family is going to stick together, no matter what."

Belle smiled, her eyes stinging with tears. Less than twelve hours ago, it had felt like her entire world was starting to come unraveled, but now things were looking up again. Her sister was alive, and her parents seemed to be even closer than ever, despite Sami's attempts to break them up and get their mother back together with Roman. That was something that baffled Belle, because Marlena and John had been together for years, why had Sami chosen to start all this now, of all times? Was it because Roman was finally getting married and this was her last chance to get her parents back together, or was it simply because she hated Kate Roberts too much to allow the woman to become her stepmother?

With Sami, sometimes it was hard to tell, but Belle was leaning towards the latter. Her sister seemed to have accepted that John was Marlena's husband a long time ago, whether she liked it or not, but as soon as things began to get serious between Roman and Kate, Sami had begun to do everything possible to ruin that relationship.

_Oh, Sami,_ Belle sighed to herself. _Would it be so bad for your Dad to be happy, even if it is with Kate?_

"I should finish getting ready," Brady said, clearing his throat.

"Yeah, you should," John agreed as he and Marlena separated. "Are you going to take your things back to Victor's now or come back for them later?"

"I'll go ahead and take them now," Brady answered, then turned to offer Marlena a smile and a kiss on the cheek. "I'm really glad that Sami's okay."

"Thank you, dear," Marlena smiled in return.

"Tell her that Chloe and I will be by to see her later on, okay?" Brady asked as he backed out of the room.

"We will," Belle called after him.

"Did Lucas say if she could have visitors?" Marlena questioned, looking at John anxiously. "I'm assuming it was him who called, since he stayed the night, right?"

"Yes, it was Lucas who called," John nodded. "And yes, she can have visitors. That was the first thing he asked Lexie when he told her that Sami was awake."

"I need to call Roman," Marlena said suddenly, her eyes widening. "We need to tell him that she's awake."

"He knows, Doc," John soothed her calmly. "Lucas promised last night to call Will first if there was any change, remember? Roman stayed at Kate's, he was there when Lucas called. They're going to meet us down there once they get cleaned up."

"Which means we need to hurry up and shower," Belle realized.

"Right," John agreed. "Try not to take too long, though, I want to get going in less than an hour."

"Don't worry, I'll be ready," Belle promised, grabbing her cereal bowl and carrying it with her as she left the kitchen, eating on her way upstairs. She finished it as quickly as possible and left it on the sink counter in her bathroom before hopping into the shower and turning on the hot water.

Forty minutes later, she descended the stairs into the living room to find her father sitting on the couch, gazing down at something in his hands. Moving up behind him, she draped her arms around his shoulders in a loose embrace and looked at the photograph he was holding. It featured a young Sami, probably about six years old, grinning as she got a piggyback ride from none other than John himself, who was laughing as Eric tackled him around the legs.

"You really loved her, huh?" Belle asked softly.

"I still do," John replied in a muted voice. "Eric and Carrie, too, but she was always my little girl." He sighed heavily, dropping the picture onto the table where others were still scattered from the night before. "And now she hates me."

"Don't give up on her, okay?" Belle said with a weak smile. "She'll come around someday."

"Maybe," John muttered as he rose to his feet, but he didn't sound very optimistic.

Belle opened her mouth to tell him that she knew that Sami still loved him, but her father turned around suddenly, his eyes focusing on something past her, and Belle turned to see her mother coming down the stairs.

"Doc," John asked. "You ready to go?"

"Yes," Marlena responded, reaching over to pick up her purse from the small table beside the staircase as she stepped onto the floor. "Are we taking your car?"

"Yeah," John confirmed, sliding on his jacket and tossing Belle her black coat.

"Can we stop and get some flowers for Sami on the way?" she asked eagerly as she caught it and put it on. "I want to get some of those tiger lilies she likes for her hospital room."

"That's very thoughtful of you, sweetie," Marlena said with a smile.

"We'll duck into the gift shop in the lobby on our way up to her room, how's that?" John suggested, helping Marlena into her coat.

"That's perfect," Belle nodded. "I'm going to grab my purse, then we can leave."

"Okay, we'll be out in the car," John replied.

Belle hurried back up to her room and retrieved her purse from her bed, stopping to poke her head into Brady's old room on her way back down. "We're leaving," she informed her brother, who was on the phone, most likely with Chloe.

Brady lifted the phone away from his face, covering the mouthpiece. "Granddad has some files on the Opera House he wants me to look over at breakfast, so it'll probably be a few hours before Chloe and I can get over to the hospital."

"Just make sure you get there at some point," Belle sighed. "I'll tell Sami to expect you after lunch, how's that?"

"Great," Brady nodded. "Thanks."

Shaking her head, Belle made her way back downstairs and was headed for the door when an idea struck her suddenly. She glanced at the door for a moment, then strode purposefully over to the coffee table.

Her gaze swept over the scattered pictures for a moment until she found the one her father had discarded earlier. Picking it up, she slipped it into her purse, careful not to bend it, and closed the snap on her purse to make sure it didn't fall out.

"Sorry," she apologized as she climbed into the back-seat of the car a few minutes later.

"What took you so long anyway?" John frowned at her in the rearview mirror.

"I was saying goodbye to Brady," Belle answered. "Mr. Kiriakis has some stuff for him to look over, so he and Chloe aren't coming until later."

"It's New Year's Day," Marlena arched an eyebrow in surprise. "Can't that wait?"

"You know Victor," John grunted as their car pulled out. "I'll call Brady's cell phone later and tell him to stop and get Sami some more flowers or something to make up for being late."

"He doesn't need to do that," Marlena assured him. "I'm sure she'll be glad just to see him. Having your family around is the best medicine possible after trauma like what Sami suffered."

Belle's hand went to her purse, thinking of the picture inside, and she smiled.


	10. Chapter 10

**Matters of the Heart**

**Chapter Ten**

"Well?" Lucas asked anxiously. "How is it?"

Sami's grimace was answer enough. "Ugh," she groaned after swallowing. "And you say that my cooking is bad."

Chuckling, Lucas moved the tray of hospital food away from her bed. "I like some of your cooking," he informed her. "You make a mean plate of spaghetti."

"It's hard to burn spaghetti, Lucas," she retorted, rolling her eyes.

Lucas smiled to himself, letting his gaze trace over her flushed cheeks and her glossy, crystalline blue eyes. Whether it was the morphine or the thirty-minute nap she'd taken, she looked much better than she had upon first waking up nearly an hour ago. Even better, her strength seemed to be returning much quicker than he'd expected it to, but he supposed that wasn't all that surprising, Sami Brady lived to defy expectations.

"I knew you wouldn't end up eating any of that stuff they call food," he announced. "So I brought you a present from the cafeteria."

Sami perked up at the word 'present', an eager smile touching her lips. "What is it?"

"Viola," Lucas said, reaching behind him and picking up the bowl of blue hospital Jell-O he'd set on the table. "I know it's not exactly pizza, but Lexie didn't give me a whole lot to work with on that list of what you can have right now."

"J-E-L-L-O," Sami grinned, gesturing for him to hand it over, and he complied once he'd stuck a plastic spoon into the bowl. "You know, take out the E and the extra L and you'd have J-Lo," she informed him as she took a bite.

"Fascinating," Lucas replied, trying hard not to laugh. He'd forgotten what a pleasant affect morphine had on Sami. Since waking up from her nap, she had probably melted his heart at least a dozen times with little facial expressions and half-loopy comments. "How's your Jell-O?"

"Better than that yellow glue you were trying to feed me a few minutes ago," Sami retorted, then paused, tilting her head thoughtfully. "Needs more sugar, though."

"Oh, it does, does it?" Lucas raised an eyebrow. "You sound like Will, you know that. I caught him adding sugar to his Rice Krispies the other day. Can you believe that?"

"Eric used to do that when we were kids," Sami commented absently, continuing to eat her gelatin. "It drove Dad crazy."

Lucas remained silent, curious as to whether she was referring to Roman or John. Her stepfather had been the one to raise her and Eric, so more than likely she meant him, but if she hadn't noticed her morphine-induced slip, then he certainly wasn't going to point it out. Anytime he even mentioned John's name in her presence, it seemed to lead to a fight.

It was going to make it interesting to see how she reacted when John showed up to see her with Marlena and Belle.

He glanced over at the clock, noting that it had been well over half an hour since he got off the phone with Sami's stepfather. _They should be here soon,_ he observed to himself. _Mom, Roman and Will, too._

A faint smile touched his lips, remembering how excited his son had gotten over the phone when heard that Sami was awake. The boy had been crying, but trying to pretend that he wasn't, so Lucas had pretended not to notice. Will was at that age now where he thought it made him a sissy to get emotional, after all.

His mother had been the one to answer when he called, still asleep from the groggy tone of her voice, but she had called Roman into the room and handed him the phone as soon as Lucas told her that Sami had woken up. Will must have been out in the living room with Roman when Kate called for him, because his grandfather had given him the phone after hearing the news. That had probably been a mistake, though, because it had taken Roman a good five minutes to get the phone back again to let Lucas know they would be there as soon as everyone was showered and dressed.

Calling the penthouse had nearly cost him his hearing, though, when Belle Black shrieked with delight after hearing that Sami was awake. Thankfully, John had decided to take pity on him and steal the phone from Belle, for which Lucas and his eardrums were eternally grateful.

"Thanks," Sami said, pressing the empty bowl into his hands. "I needed that."

"That's what I'm here for," Lucas assured her, placing it back onto the table. "How are you feeling?"

Sami rolled her eyes again. "You asked me that five minutes ago, Lucas."

"And now I'm asking again," Lucas replied evenly. "How do you feel?"

"Yeah," Lucas nodded, his chest heavy at the prospect of not being able to do anything to alleviate that pain for her. "Lexie said it probably would hurt for a while."

"Figures," Sami muttered in disgust. "I should have worn flats to the wedding. Those heels were murder in the snow."

Lucas winced at her wording, once again forcing himself not to think about it, not to remember cradling her in his arms as her blood stained the snow around them...

Luckily, a knock sounded at the door just then, effectively distracting him from such grim, dark thoughts.

"Knock knock," a familiar voice called from the other side of the door, and a moment later John stepped into the room with Belle and Marlena just behind him.

"Hi, John," Lucas greeted the older man without rising from his chair.

"Oh, sweetie-girl," Marlena cried, rushing to the bed and wrapping her arms around Sami in a long, powerful embrace. "Oh, baby, you gave us such a scare."

"I'm okay, Mom," Sami assured her, but she didn't seem to mind the hug. "Really, Lexie says I'm all in one piece."

"I'm just so glad you're here," Marlena whispered, clearly choked up as she stroked her eldest daughter's hair.

"So am I," Belle agreed, and as soon as Marlena pulled back, she stepped forward to take her mother's place with Sami, hugging her sister tightly. "We were all really worried about you, Sami." She glanced back at her father, who was still standing near the door. "Weren't we, Daddy?"

"Yeah," John answered softly, gazing at the three of them gathered together with a longing look in his eyes as he moved further into the room. "We were."

Lucas actually felt sorry for the man. He knew what it was like to love Sami Brady and have her push you away at every turn. Of course, Lucas himself had the better deal, because Sami always came back to him. No matter what they might scream in the heat of the moment, no matter what hurtful or terrible things they might say to each other, he was still the one she came running to when things got hard. They shared a son, and whether Sami admitted it or not, they shared a connection that always drew them back together again in the end. But John didn't have any of that, and so he'd had to bear the full weight of Sami's wrath.

Sami lifted her head and looked at John with a hesitant, conflicted expression that Lucas hadn't been expecting. He'd been ready for sarcasm and bitterness, for her to make some kind of snide remark, but he certainly wasn't ready for what occurred next.

"Thank you," Sami said softly, and she sounded like she meant it.

"Samantha, you don't have to thank me for worrying about you, " John pointed out, moving up beside Belle.

"Maybe I do," Sami murmured, then averted her eyes away from his face.

"Samantha..." John faltered for a moment, clearly wanting to take her in his arms, and just as clearly knowing that she wouldn't accept that, so instead he reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it, as if he could somehow will his love into her and make her return it.

Lucas half-expected Sami to recoil from John's touch, but she didn't. To his surprise, she tentatively lifted a hand and laid it on top of John's, looking up at the man who raised her in silence that somehow seemed to speak more than words could have hoped to.

The moment ended as suddenly as it had begun, though, and Sami let her hand drop quickly, as if she'd just realized what she was doing. She looked away, turning her face so that her hair fell across it like a veil, and John sighed, a flicker of pain in his eyes as he drew his hand away from her. There was a touch of disappointment in his expression and he wearily took a step back, putting some distance between himself and his stepdaughter.

Lucas had mixed feelings about John Black, he always had. He respected the man and appreciated not only the job he had given to his mother, but the friendship he had given her, as well. John had always been nice enough to Lucas for the most part, save for the time surrounding Franco's murder and Sami's execution, during which none of the Bradys or Blacks had really cared much for him due to their suspicion that he might have had something to do with Franco's murder. But part of him held a grudge against John for what he'd put Sami through over the years, intentional or not. All of Sami's insecurities and issues stemmed from that first abandonment when she was just a little girl, and Lucas knew it.

That was part of the reason he had been pushing her so hard the past few weeks about accepting where all her anger towards John really came from. If they were ever going to be able to move forward, to have any kind of future together, then Sami was going to have to confront those "daddy" issues, so that she could trust that a man might actually love her just the way she was.

"Brady and Chloe had some things to take care of over at Victor's first," Marlena informed Sami, rubbing her arm. "So they'll be coming by later to see you, okay?"

Sami nodded, but Lucas didn't miss the slight flicker of her eyes in John's direction at the mention of Brady's name. "Okay," she murmured.

"Oh," Belle cried suddenly, her face breaking out in a broad grin. "I almost forgot!"

She disappeared out into the hallway for a moment, then returned with a large vase of bright tiger lilies, with one of those large 'Get Well' balloons tied to it. There was something tucked into the flowers, an envelope of some kind, but it looked too big to contain one of those little cards that came with the flowers.

"These are for you, Sami," she said, placing them down on the table near Sami's bed.

"Oh, Belle," Sami smiled, clearly touched. "They're beautiful."

"I'm glad you like them," Belle replied, adjusting the flower arrangement slightly, so that the balloon could float overhead without bumping into anything. "I thought they might cheer you up a bit, and brighten this room up, too."

"Thank you," Sami said, reaching out to catch her little sister's hand and squeeze it in her own.

"You're welcome," Belle responded happily.

There was a short pause of silence, and Lucas shifted in his chair uncomfortably, but none of the women seemed to notice. He glanced over at John, who was leaning against the wall and watching his wife, daughter and stepdaughter with a faint, sad smile on his face. It was a rare thing to have all four of them in one room without some kind of argument stirring up, so Lucas supposed that he was just savoring the moment while it lasted.

Footsteps echoed from the hallway, and they all looked up just as a blur of blue jeans and a red fleece pullover burst through the door at top speed.

"Mom!" Will shouted in delight.

Lucas managed to grab his son just before he threw himself at Sami. "Whoa, buddy," he said gently, earning an annoyed look from both Will and Sami for interrupting their reunion. "Your Mom just had surgery a few hours ago, remember? We've got to go easy on her for now."

"Okay," Will nodded, and Lucas let him go so that he could take the final step or two over to Sami's bed. "Hi, Mom."

"Hi, sweetie," Sami said with a tearful smile, and opened her arms to him. Will fell into her embrace without hesitation, burying his face in her shoulder. Mother and son clung to one another desperately for a long moment, tears sliding down Sami's cheeks as she held their son close to her, as if she had been afraid she wouldn't see him again.

She probably had been, Lucas realized grimly. After the police had finished up with the crime scene investigation, Bo had informed them that Sami had managed to pick herself up and stagger a good fifteen or twenty yards around the side of Tuscany. Lucas had little doubt that she'd found the strength to do so out of sheer determination to see their son again.

"You can't ever leave me, okay?" he heard Will ask shakily, his little voice breaking with tears. "You can't leave me, because I need you, Mom."

"I'm not going anywhere, little man," Sami assured him, stroking his hair soothingly. "And neither is your father. We're always going to be here for you."

"Promise?" Will sniffled.

"I promise," Sami murmured, kissing his hair.

"And so do I," Lucas added, earning a smile from Sami over their son's head. "You can't get rid of us that easily, buddy. So cancel all those wild parties you and Abby are planning for your teen years, okay?"

Will laughed, wiping at his eyes as he pulled away from Sami. "Okay." He turned and looked back towards the door, sniffling. "You coming in, Grandma, Grandpa?"

Lucas looked over his shoulder to find Kate and Roman standing in the doorway. Sami's father was smiling, even with the tears threatening to spill down his cheeks, but it was Kate that Lucas' gaze was glued to. His mother actually had tears in her eyes, too, and while he highly doubted they were tears for Sami, he suspected that maybe seeing the love between Will and Sami had given her a rather shocking wake-up call.

_Maybe you finally realize what I've been trying to tell you for years, Mom,_ Lucas thought. _Will needs his mother._

Then again, she never had been very good at listening to that particular argument.

"Daddy," Sami said with a sigh, her blue eyes welling with tears.

"Hey there, peanut," Roman said with a shaky smile as he came forward to make his way over to her bed, leaning down to hug her.

"Daddy, I'm sorry," Sami rasped, clutching his jacket in her small fists as she burrowed as close to her father as she possible while stuck in the hospital bed. "I didn't mean it, the things I said..."

"Shh," Roman silenced her gently, and Lucas could have sworn he heard the older man choke back a sob. "I know, sweetheart. I love you, I love you so much, and I'm just so grateful that you came back to us."

"She had to," Lucas spoke up, fixing Sami with a soft smirk. "She's never let me win an argument yet, so there was no way she was going to start now."

"Got that right," Sami said gleefully, wiping her eyes with the corner of her hospital gown sleeve.

"Thanks for taking such good care of my daughter, Lucas," Roman said, giving Lucas a hard look as he extended his hand. "I appreciate it."

"Somebody has to keep an eye on her," Lucas replied lightly, accepting his hand and shaking it briefly. "Or else who knows what trouble she'd get herself into."

"Oh, that's rich coming from you," Sami snorted.

"Mom's right," Will agreed, giving Lucas a sly grin. "I'm the only one in the family who stays out of trouble."

"Oh, really?" Lucas asked dryly. "I seem to recall a parent-teacher conference a few weeks back that begs to differ. Right, Sami?"

Sami opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off by none other than Kate. "Will, your father hardly gets into trouble," Kate said evenly, strolling across the room to loop her arm through Roman's. "It's nice to see you awake again, Sami. Everyone was very concerned for you."

"I'm sure," Sami said stiffly, her eyes narrowing at Kate's rather possessive hold on her father. Lucas groaned to himself, just as positive as Sami was that his mother had put on that little display for Sami's benefit, no doubt to demonstrate that though the wedding had not gone as planned, she and Roman were still very much together.

He braced himself for the ensuing argument, not sure he would even bother to interfere this time, but it never came. Sami gave her father and Kate one last glance, then turned her attention away from them completely, focusing instead on their son.

"Happy New Year, sweetheart," she said, tugging on his hand so that he bent over enough for her to kiss him on the cheek.

"It is now that you're awake," Will answered, and Lucas hid a grin. His son had absolutely no idea how charming he really was, but in a few years, they'd have girls lining up at their door. Will had inherited the Roberts charm, and both of his parents knew it, which was why Sami had already made it clear that if their son took after him in the ways of love, particularly the young initiation factor, she was going to make him regret it.

"Flatterer," Sami retorted, ruffling his hair.

"Aww, Mom, watch the hair," Will cried, desperately trying to smooth it back down.

Sami gave Lucas a pointed look, and he shrugged. "What are you looking at me for?" he demanded. "You're the one who spends an hour doing your hair in the morning, sweetheart, not me."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his mother stiffen slightly, and knew that she was going to start in on another one of her 'Stay away from Sami' lectures the next time she got him alone, but he didn't care. He'd gotten a glimpse of what life without Sami could have been like the night before, and he wasn't going to waste any more time worrying about what his mother thought. Sooner or later, she'd have to just accept that there was no where he'd rather be than with Sami and their son.

Because he wasn't going anywhere.

"She gets that from her mother," John observed wryly, and Marlena gave him an indignant look, but didn't deny it.

"It's a woman's prerogative to take her time getting ready," Belle insisted. "Right, Sami?"

"Right," Sami agreed, letting her sister draw her into a lighthearted conversation as she carefully scooted herself over on the bed and gestured for Will to climb up and sit on the edge. Their son complied with a smile, allowing her to put her arm around him as they listened to Belle rambling about unimportant things.

After a while, Bo had called on Roman's cell phone to report that they needed him down at the station to go over some things, so Sami's father had left after passing along Bo's love to Sami and promising to come back later on. Sami had understood, urging him to go and try to figure out who the killer was, making a promise of her own to try and remember anything she could about her attacker so that she could give a statement to the police.

Kate had made no move to leave, even after Roman's departure, clearly determined to wait until she got a chance to drag Lucas outside into the hall and lecture him, but for once John Black seemed to favor his stepdaughter over Kate. He'd claimed that there was a lot of work piling up at Basic Black, and suggested that he and Kate look at some of the new lines over lunch so that they didn't fall behind, but Lucas had a feeling that the older man had simply noticed the tension between Kate and Sami and wanted to alleviate some of Sami's stress considering she had just been attacked a few hours ago.

Either way, Kate could hardly refuse, so she had politely wished Sami a speedy recovery, bid farewell to Marlena and Belle, and then pointedly informed Lucas that she wanted him to come over for dinner.

Lucas had pretended not to see the smirk on Sami's face when he'd regretfully informed his mother that since it was technically Sami's week with Will, he was going to stay at the hospital so that the doctors would allow their son to stay and visit with his mother.

Mom's going to throw a fit, Lucas sighed to himself after watching his mother stalk out the door. He soon pushed all thoughts of his mother and how he was going to deal with her out of his head, though, when Will's laughter caught his attention.

His son was waving his arms animatedly as he recounted for Sami, Belle and Marlena a game of soccer they had played in his gym class at school earlier in the week, during which he'd scored the winning goal for his team.

"I thought you played football," Belle said, frowning in confusion.

"I do," Will shrugged, giving his aunt a strange look. "People can play more than one sport, Aunt Belle. Right, Dad?"

"Right, buddy," Lucas confirmed with a smile. "You know, if you want to play soccer outside of school, your Mom and I can sign you up."

"Can I still play football, too?" Will asked hopefully.

Sami shrugged. "If the schedule works out, I don't see why not."

"Awesome," Will grinned enthusiastically. "Thanks Mom."

"Don't thank me," Sami said with a smirk. "Thank your father- he's going to pay for it."

"Oh, I am, huh?" Lucas retorted skeptically. "What happened to splitting it fifty-fifty like we did with his football fees?"

"It's also a woman's prerogative to change her mind," Belle informed him.

"Good thing we outnumber Mom, then, huh, Dad?" Will asked, and Sami gave their son a look of mock outrage.

"Yeah, it is a good thing, buddy," Lucas agreed, tossing a smirk back at her. "And she's lucky to have us around to protect her from herself, or else she might never be able to decide which shoes to wear with what dress."

"That would be a tragedy," Will said sarcastically.

"That's it," Sami said with a scowl. "When I get out of this bed, the two of you are both getting whacked to death with pillows."

"Two against one, Sami?" Lucas asked dryly.

"Oh, I think I can take you, General," Sami retorted, and Lucas raised an eyebrow suggestively. While the others in the room didn't seem to catch the meaning behind it, Sami knew the way his mind worked, and a blush touched her cheeks as soon as he looked at her. "Besides," she added quickly. "Maybe I can bribe Will onto my side, then we'd outnumber you."

"I don't know, Mom," Will shook his head doubtfully. "Dad's pretty strong."

Lucas gave Sami a smug look at their son's comment, and she rolled her eyes, but he didn't miss the small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. She couldn't deny that Will was right, but the fact that she didn't even bother to try amused him. He had no doubt about whether or not Sami wanted him, he'd seen the way she looked at him when she thought he wasn't looking, but this was probably the closest she had come to admitting it other than that day in the cemetery after her grandmother's funeral.

"I should probably head over to my office for a bit and check my messages," Marlena sighed, checking her watch. "Do you want me to go by your apartment and pick up some things for you, sweetie-girl?"

"That's okay, Mom," Sami shook her head. "Lucas already promised to bring me some stuff back later, after he goes home to shower and clean up."

Marlena glanced over at him, and Lucas gave a slight nod of agreement. "Okay, then," she said, patting Sami's hand as she rose to her feet. "Take it easy, you hear me? You need to get your rest so you can get better faster."

"I will, Mom," Sami promised with a touch of exasperation. "Don't worry, Lexie already gave me the drill, and General Roberts over there threatened to make me adhere to her rules by any means necessary."

"If you behave, it'll make it easier on us all," Lucas retorted.

"When do I ever behave?" Sami drawled with a smirk, blue eyes somehow brighter than normal. Lucas couldn't decide if it was the morphine, or if she was just as grateful to be alive as he was to have her back.

"Good point," he conceded.

"Lucas, you take good care of my little girl, then," Marlena said after a pause, looking at him warily. She didn't quite trust him, he knew, and he couldn't really blame her. He'd done a lot to hurt Sami in the past, and it was a mother's instinct not to forget that kind of thing. After all, his own mother certainly held lifelong grudges against those who she felt had wronged her offspring. Marlena just didn't want to see Sami hurt again, which was completely understandable.

"I intend to," Lucas assured her seriously, hoping she understood that he didn't just mean for the next few hours. Whether she did or not, Sami's eyes darted to his face for a moment, their gazes meeting, and he saw a faint flicker of that indefinable emotion he'd occasionally catch a glimpse of before she averted her eyes, staring intently at the floor.

She wasn't the only one who seemed to read into the subtext of his words. Will grinned, his eyes glittering with that gleam that Lucas knew meant his son was plotting something, and he sighed to himself, making a mental note to talk to him about that later.

Maybe it was time the two of them worked together to win Sami over. Between the two of them, they had to be able to find a way to convince her that they belonged together, a real family, just the three of them. Lucas had been dropping subtle clues, trying to get her to see that for the past few months, but she was being stubborn.

Well, this time, he was determined to win, and with their sneak of a son on his side, he had a feeling that he was going to do just that.


	11. Chapter 11

**Matters of the Heart**

**Chapter Eleven**

"See?" Lucas asked with a smirk. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

Sami groaned, leaning her head back against her pillow. "A week, Lucas? She expects me to stay in this place for an entire week?"

"You heard Lexie, Sami," Lucas replied, giving her a stern look as he shifted in the chair beside her hospital bed. "They just want to keep you here for observation, to make sure that nothing goes wrong. You were in bad shape last night, they need to keep an eye on you."

"I know," Sami mumbled under her breath. "But a week?"

"Well, you're stuck here until Lexie signs off for you to leave, so get used to it," Lucas informed her with a smug smile.

"Come closer so I can smack you with this pillow," Sami ordered with forced sweetness.

"I don't think so, sweetheart," Lucas shook his head. "I'm not stupid."

Sami arched an eyebrow gracefully. "That remains to be seen," she retorted dryly.

"Is that any way to treat a guy who's going to bring you your things from home?" Lucas demanded. "If you don't watch it, I may forget to bring those fuzzy blue slippers you love so much."

"You wouldn't dare," Sami warned, narrowing her eyes.

"Wouldn't I?" Lucas shot back.

"No," Sami insisted stubbornly, lifting her chin. "Because my feet would freeze if you did, I don't have any socks on, remember?"

"It's not my fault you wore strappy sandals in the middle of winter," Lucas pointed out. "But you're right, we wouldn't want your toes to fall off, so I'll get the slippers."

"Thank you," Sami said triumphantly.

Lucas just smiled at her, and her stomach did that little fluttering thing it liked to do when Lucas was around. She took a moment to look him over, from his wrinkled tuxedo to his ruffled hair and the dark, tired circles under his eyes, and her heart softened. He really did look terrible, and it was because he'd stayed at her side all night long just to watch over her.

It was infuriating how sweet that man could be when he wanted to.

"I mean it," she said softly, looking him in the eyes. "Thank you, Lucas. For going to get my stuff and for staying here last night and all."

"Don't worry about it," Lucas responded gently. "I stayed because I wanted to, Sami, just like I'm going to bring you back some of your things to make you more comfortable here because I want to." The corner of his mouth lifted into a faint smirk. "That and it's a good excuse to go home and shower."

Sami chuckled, brushing a loose strand of hair away out of her face. "You could use one," she told him with a teasing smile.

"The sad thing is that you're right," Lucas grimaced, rising to his feet. "Since Belle took Will to get some lunch, I guess I should get going so I can be back by the time they're done."

"Yeah," Sami agreed, although she was a little tempted to ask him to stay. She wasn't really tired, so she doubted she'd get much sleep while he was gone, and Lucas was good company. But she was also anxious to get out of the hospital clothes she was wearing and into her own pajamas, which Lucas was going to bring back from her apartment. Besides, he deserved a break after the long night he'd had.

"I'll be back soon," Lucas promised, leaning over her. Her heart skipped a beat and her breath caught in her throat at his close proximity, and when he kissed her cheek she was almost disappointed. "If you need me, call my cell phone, okay?"

Sami nodded. "Yeah, okay."

"Don't go anywhere," Lucas told her with a wink, striding over to the door. "No prison breaks until I get back."

"Yes, General," Sami rolled her eyes.

"Get some rest while you..." he trailed off as he opened to door, coming face-to-face with Brady Black, who had his fist raised in the air to knock.

"Hi," Chloe Lane said from just behind him.

"Hi," Lucas replied slowly, not making any move to get out of their way. "Sami?"

She knew what he was doing without him even having to ask. He wasn't sure if she wanted to be left alone with them or not, so he was offering to wait and run his errands later, after their visit. Part of her was annoyed that he didn't seem to think she was up to it, but the rest of her was touched by his concern.

"Now you can go home and get my stuff without leaving me alone," Sami responded with a reassuring smile. "Brady and Chloe will keep me company until Belle and Will get back from lunch."

"Right," Lucas nodded tightly and stepped back to let them into the room. "I shouldn't be long."

"Take your time," Brady said politely. "We don't have anywhere we have to be, so we can stay as long as it takes for Belle to get back."

"Thanks," Lucas replied warily, then backed out of the room, giving Sami one last supportive glance before disappearing into the hallway and leaving her alone with her stepbrother and his girlfriend.

There was a long, awkward silence in the room as she and Brady looked at one another, both at a loss for what to say. Luckily, Chloe didn't seem hindered by the same self-conscious doubt, because she immediately came over to Sami's bedside and gave her a careful hug.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Better than last night," Sami answered with a shrug. "The morphine helps."

"I bet," Chloe said with a sympathetic smile as she sat down in the chair Lucas had vacated. "I'm glad you're okay. I didn't get a chance to say hi before the wedding."

"How has your opera career been going?" Sami inquired, genuinely curious as to what the younger girl had been up to these past few months.

"Good," Chloe replied eagerly. "I'm having such a great time and learning so much."

"I'm glad," Sami said. "How's Europe?"

"Europe is... great," Chloe sighed happily. "It's amazing, really. But I really miss Salem, you know?"

Sami glanced over at her stepbrother, who was watching Chloe with a bittersweet smile as he leaned against the wall. "I think Salem missed you, too," she told Chloe.

Chloe followed her gaze and smiled at Brady before turning back to Sami with a serious expression on her face. "Brady's been keeping me up to date on everything that's happened in town while I was gone. I'm so sorry about your grandmother, Sami."

"Thank you," Sami said with a sad smile. "I really miss her."

"She was a wonderful woman," Brady murmured from across the room.

"Yeah," Sami agreed softly. "She was."

There was another pause of silence, but this time Chloe didn't make any move to fill it. She merely leaned back in the chair, letting her gaze drift around the room absently, but her silence was just as pointed as any words she might have said.

"I hear you're short a tuxedo jacket," Sami commented ruefully, finally breaking the silence. "Sorry about that."

Brady gave her a small smile. "Don't worry about it," he assured her. "It doesn't matter."

"You know what?" Chloe said, suddenly rising to her feet. "I'm really thirsty. Brady, can I have some change for a soda?"

"Uh, sure," Brady nodded, digging into his pocket and pulling out a few quarters. "Here."

"Thanks," Chloe smiled, and then without another word she slipped out of the room, leaving them alone.

"That was really subtle," Sami said sarcastically.

Brady snorted softly, shaking his head. "Subtlety never was Chloe's specialty."

"I guess not," Sami sighed. "You might as well sit down, she's probably going to be gone for a while."

"Yeah," Brady muttered, settling down into the chair beside her bed.

They were both quiet for a long moment, and he sat there fidgeting with his hands, which brought a faint smile to Sami's lips. He never had been very good at sitting still, it had driven her mother and John crazy when he was younger.

"So..." Brady cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"Lexie tells me that I probably owe you my life," Sami said quietly, deciding to have mercy on him and give them something to talk about. "That if you hadn't been there, I wouldn't have made it."

"You were pretty bad off," Brady agreed softly, and she saw him swallow hard. "I wasn't sure you were going to make it. Especially not when you..."

"When I what?" Sami asked.

Brady raised his gaze to meet hers. "When you called my mother's name."

"Oh," Sami murmured. "That."

"Did you... I mean, was she there?" Brady asked hoarsely, his eyes pleading for something she couldn't identify, but she could understand the sentiment behind it. He'd been just a baby when Isabella died, and what precious few memories he had of her when hazy and distant. Of course he'd want to absorb even the tiniest bit of information about his mother.

"I'm not sure," Sami admitted softly. "I remember being scared and in a lot of pain, and you were there, trying to get me to stay awake, but then... it was kind of like someone had put their arms around me, you know? I felt safe, and I wasn't scared, because I knew that whatever happened, I was going to be taken care of."

She paused for a moment, trying to focus on the memory of Brady's face hovering over her, of his frantic cries echoing in her ears, and of the figure in the distance that had diverted her attention away from her stepbrother.

A silhouette against the dark winter sky... a woman holding out her hand to a little girl... someone telling her that it was time to go home... laughter echoing in the distance...

"I don't know if she was really there," Sami said at last, her chest aching with an emotion she couldn't really define. "Or if I just wanted her to be so badly that I convinced myself she was."

Brady was silent for a long moment, staring down at his clasped hands. "She came to me," he confided in her quietly.

"She did?" Sami asked breathlessly.

"When Chloe was struggling to fight her leukemia," Brady nodded. "She was watching over her for me."

"That sounds like Izzy-B, alright," Sami murmured.

"So maybe she was watching over you, too," Brady suggested softly. "I mean, Dad told me how much she loved you and Eric, so it would make sense, wouldn't it?"

"I'm sorry for throwing your mother's death in your face a few years ago, Brady," Sami apologized with a whisper. "It was cruel of me, and I shouldn't have said it."

"No, you shouldn't have," Brady agreed gravely. "But we were in the middle of an argument, and I remember saying some pretty nasty things to you that day, too."

There was no denying that, and Sami had no intention of trying to, so she merely avoided a direct response. "She was a wonderful woman," she told him with a sad smile. "It's too bad you didn't get a chance to get to know her."

"Yeah," Brady sighed. "I really wish I had. From what Dad's told me, it sounds like she was a really great mother."

"The best," Sami said with a soft smile, remembering the games of Tag Team Old Maid they'd played against Eric and John. Isabella really had been a mother to her during those vital childhood years, and she missed the woman even to this day.

Brady got that look on his face, the one she knew meant he was about to ask her something she really didn't want to hear. She'd seen it on John's face enough over the years whenever he was trying to connect with her, and it always led to some sort of emotional and stressful subject.

_I can't do this right now, _Sami thought with a groan. Yes, there was something appealing about the notion of having a better relationship with her almost-sibling, but there was only so much a girl could take in one day.

"So how long is Chloe in town for?" she asked, quickly changing the subject on him before he could speak.

"I'm not entirely sure," Brady admitted with a sigh. "Granddad flew her home for the holidays as a surprise, but she's got the opera company to go back to sometime soon."

"She's really lucky," Sami mused. "Having the chance to fulfill her dreams and all."

"She's talented, not lucky," Brady corrected.

"She's lucky," Sami repeated firmly. "Because she has someone in her life who puts her happiness before their own, someone who believes in her."

Brady opened his mouth to reply, just as the door opened and Chloe returned with a can of Coke in hand. "Sorry that took so long," she said, chuckling sheepishly. "I got my quarter stuck in the vending machine and it wouldn't budge, so I had to find an orderly to shake the machine."

"Strong men are handy to have around," Sami observed conspiratorially.

"Is that why Lucas is hanging around all the time?" Chloe asked with a grin.

Somehow, Sami managed not only to keep from blushing, but to pull of a disinterested expression, as well. "Lucas and I share a son, Chloe, remember? You haven't been out of town that long. He kind of has to hang around, pay child support, that kind of thing."

"So he stayed at the hospital because of Will?" Brady asked skeptically, and Sami resisted the urge to scowl at her stepbrother. "No other reason?"

Thankfully, she was saved from having to answer because just then the door opened again, and Belle stepped into the room with a broad smile on her face. "Brady," she cried in delight. "You made it."

"Yeah," Brady nodded. "Granddad let me put most of the work off until tomorrow when I told him we were coming here to see Sami."

Sami snorted to herself, rolling her eyes. She highly doubted that Victor Kiriakis had let them leave early because of her. The man despised her almost as much as she despised him, but she felt she was entitled to hate the old man as much as she wanted to. After all, he'd been in on all of Kate's plots to kill her, now hadn't he? And he'd had the audacity to threaten her at her grandmother's funeral of all places.

In her opinion, the world would be a better place when Victor kicked the bucket.

"Uncle Brady," Will's face lit up as he slipped into the room, a soda in hand. "What are you doing here?"

"We came to see how your Mom was doing," Brady answered with an affectionate smile. "How are you holding up, pal? You being strong for your Mom?"

"I guess so," Will shrugged. "But she has Dad for that."

Brady and Chloe were too busy giving Sami a pointed look to notice the smirk that crossed her son's face, but Sami didn't miss it. She knew that smirk entirely too well not to catch it when it was flashed in her presence.

_Oh, you are definitely your father's son, little man,_ she thought with a shake of her head. He was starting to scheme against them, she just knew it, and if he had inherited her skills of manipulation plus his father's craftiness, then they were in for a bumpy ride.

"How was lunch, Will?" Sami asked.

"Good," her son replied with a smile, coming over to perch on the edge of her bed. "We had tacos, and Aunt Belle let me get the mega combo."

"He sure eats a lot," Belle commented, wrinkling her nose in amusement.

"Growing boys need to eat," Brady pointed out.

"Yeah," Will nodded in agreement. "Hey, where's Dad?"

"He went home to shower and get me some stuff from the apartment, not to mention get some food since he hasn't eaten since yesterday," Sami answered. "He'll be back soon."

"Speaking of food," Brady said, glancing at Chloe. "We should probably get going. I don't know about you, but I'm starved. I didn't eat enough at breakfast."

"Probably because having Nicole batting her eyelashes at you made you lose your appetite," Chloe snorted in disgust, and Sami gave Brady a surprised look. "I know you said she's just doing it to annoy your grandfather and all, but it's shameless."

"Right," Brady said uneasily.

_Well, well,_ Sami mused to herself. _Looks like I was right about Nicole and her step-grandson, after all._

What was it with her idiot brothers and Nicole Walker? First Eric, now Brady? Who was the woman going to chase after next- Rex?

"It was good to see you, Sami," Chloe said with a warm smile. "I hope I'll get to see you again before I leave town."

"That'd be nice," Sami replied.

"I'll probably be back tomorrow, if I have time," Brady informed her. "If not, I'll definitely come by the day after."

"Whenever," Sami shrugged, wishing he wouldn't try so hard. Just because she was in the hospital didn't mean he was obligated to visit. But if he wanted to she wasn't going to say no, any company was better than none. "Lexie says I'm going to be locked up here all week, so I'm not going anywhere."

"Okay," Brady nodded. He hesitated, then leaned forward to kiss her on the cheek, catching her by surprise. "Feel better, okay?"

Startled, Sami could only nod in response.

Brady stopped to give Belle a kiss on the cheek, as well, and to ruffle Will's hair, before he and Chloe let themselves out of the room, shutting the door behind them. Sami stared after them for a few seconds, not entirely sure what to make of Brady at the moment.

He hadn't cared much for her in the past, at least not as far as she knew, but she had seen the fear in his eyes the night before, while he fought to save her life. And she'd heard the relief in his voice today while he visited with her and talked about her attack.

_Why are my relatives so damn complicated?_ Sami asked herself with exasperation. _They turn up their noses at me or flat-out ignore me some days, and others they act like we're the Brady Bunch?_

Sighing, she leaned back against her pillow and looked up at the ceiling. She was tired, both physically and emotionally. It really had been a long, confusing day, and it was only half-over.

"Sami?"

Lifting her head, Sami looked over at her sister. "What is it, Belle?"

"You never opened the card with your flowers," Belle observed quietly.

Sami blinked in surprise, glancing over at the flower arrangement beside her bed. Sure enough, there was an envelope tucked into the flowers, one she hadn't noticed until now. "I didn't even see it," she admitted ruefully, reaching over to pluck it out of the tiger lilies Belle had brought her.

Upon opening it, she was surprised to find that there was no card inside. Instead, she found a photograph.

A lump rose up in her throat and her fingers trembled as they traced the smiling faces staring back at her.

"I thought you might like to have that," Belle said softly.

Sami knew her sister meant well, the poor girl had such a romantic outlook on life that she thought everything would have a happy ending like it did in the movies. But life wasn't a movie, and sometimes things just got too broken to be fixed, like her relationship with John. Because there was too much bitterness and resentment, too much hurt and anger, between them for them to ever get past that and move on.

"Belle, sweetheart, I know you're just trying to help," she said gently. "But John and I aren't those people in that picture anymore. And sometimes people just can't forgive and forget when they've hurt each other too badly for too long."

"Funny," Belle replied evenly. "That's what everyone used to say about you and Lucas."

"That's a completely different situation, Belle," Sami insisted firmly. "Lucas and I share a son. We've got a very complicated history."

"So do you and Dad," Belle retorted stubbornly. "But you're right, why would it be the same? I mean, Dad only raised you, he was only the only father you knew growing up. He only loved you and Eric more than anything. Why should you even make half the effort with him that you do with Lucas?"

"Belle," Sami said sternly, with a warning look that told her was about to go too far and step into unfriendly territory. "Just drop it, okay?"

Her little sister folded her arms, looking so much like a petulant child who was upset that they weren't getting their way that it would have comical under different circumstances. "Fine," Belle grumbled.

"Thank you," Sami sighed in relief, and held the photograph out to her. "Here."

Belle glared at the photograph for a moment as if it was offending her, then pushed Sami's hand away. "Keep it," she said quietly, and when Sami opened her mouth to protest she found herself being fixed with a steady, challenging gaze that was eerily like Eric's. "Maybe someday it'll be a different situation."

_Don't get your hopes up, _Sami thought, but she didn't have the heart to say it out loud. "If it'll make you happy," she agreed begrudgingly, and placed the photograph down on the table beside her bed.

"It does, and I'm sure it would make Dad happy, too," Belle said with a small smile. "Thanks, Sami."

Sami shifted uneasily, not really sure what she was supposed to say. Somehow 'you're welcome' just didn't seem appropriate.

"Dammit!"

Both Sami and Belle turned to look at Will with shocked expressions. "William Roberts," Sami scolded, her eyes narrowing sharply. "Watch your mouth!"

"Sorry," Will mumbled, but he didn't look very sorry as he glanced down at his soda, which was now covering the floor. "Uh, Aunt Belle, could you go get some paper towels so I can clean this up?"

A light bulb flickered on in Sami's head, and her anger softened, realizing what her son was up to. He'd conveniently spilled his drink, thus creating a distraction and saving her from what was clearly a very uncomfortable situation. Her son was not only highly perceptive, but sneaky, as well.

"Sure," Belle said, quickly getting to her feet.

As soon as she was out of the room, Sami turned to her son and raised an eyebrow. "Well?" she demanded. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

"Sorry," Will said with a wince. "I know I'm not supposed to curse."

"No, you're not," Sami agreed, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "But I appreciate what you were trying to do, so thank you. Next time just try to watch the language, okay?"

"Yeah, okay," Will nodded, then smirked, looking too much like his father for it to be a good thing. "You know, if you really want to thank me, you and Dad could always renegotiate the terms of my allowance."

Sami raised an eyebrow. "Don't even think about it."

"Right," Will sighed. "Well, can't blame a kid for trying."


	12. Chapter 12

**Matters of the Heart**

**Chapter Twelve  
**

**  
**

"Which floor, Belle?" Shawn asked, glancing over at his girlfriend.

"Third," Belle answered, and he pressed the corresponding button, the elevator doors sliding shut in front of them. "They moved her out of the recovery ward and into a standard room yesterday afternoon, so she's got more space now."

"Not to mention her own bathroom," Mimi added with a smile. "Knowing Sami, she's probably thrilled about that."

"Who wouldn't be?" Belle replied with a nod.

"Who cares about the bathroom?" Shawn snorted. "The good end of the deal is that she has a sitting area for her visitors, and they hooked her up with a television so she doesn't go crazy with boredom."

"Sami?" Philip Kiriakis echoed dryly. "Crazy? Never."

Rex spared his half-brother a glance out of the corner of his eye, but remained silent. He may not have been close with Sami, but he certainly liked her better than the rest of his siblings in Salem.

"Play nice," Belle scolded lightly, swatting Philip in the arm.

Philip smiled that annoying smile of his. "I'm just kidding," he assured her. "I like Sami well enough when she's not making my brother's life a nightmare or trying to drive my mother over the edge. She did give me my only nephew, after all."

_Philip's brother, my brother,_ Rex thought sullenly. _Philip's mother, my mother. Philip's nephew, my nephew. _

God, his family tree was so messed up. Then again, he'd already known that. He had a half-brother and a half-sister who had a son together, after all.

"Speaking of your brother," Belle said, tilting her head thoughtfully. "Lucas hasn't left the hospital at all since Sami got her except to go home and get some of her things for her. He's been really great the past few days."

"Yeah, I noticed," Philip nodded with a wry smile. "Unfortunately, so has my Mom. She's been ranting about it every chance she gets. Lucas is in for an earful when she finally manages to pry him away from Sami."

"That might be a while," Belle informed him evenly. "Lucas doesn't seem to be in any hurry to go anywhere."

"I noticed that, too," Philip replied in kind.

The elevator came to a halt with a loud chime, and the doors slid open.

Shawn stepped out first, placing his hand in the door to make sure it stayed open long enough for the others to get out. Rex was the last one to emerge from the elevator, and Shawn fell into step beside him as they followed Belle down the hall. If there was one relative that he didn't feel uncomfortable around, it was definitely Shawn, and it was kind of nice to have at least one member of the Brady family on his side, even if not too long ago Shawn had been convinced that he had something to do with the serial killings.

"This way," Belle announced, leading them around a corner and past a nursing station, where several nurses greeted her, recognizing her as the daughter of Dr. Marlena Evans Black. Rex almost rolled his eyes, not missing the fact that not one of them had ever acknowledged him during the time that he was thought to be Marlena's son.

The town of Salem was synonymous with hypocrisy sometimes.

Belle stopped in front of a door marked 315, and knocked. "Anybody awake?" she called through the door.

"Come on in," came Lucas' voice from the other side of the door.

Belle pushed the door open and led the way into the room. "I'm back," she informed her sister with a smile. "And I brought visitors."

"And we brought gifts," Mimi added, holding up the stack of _People, Cosmopolitan and Vogue _magazines that she and Belle had gathered to give Sami as reading material in case she got bored. Rex wasn't exactly sure how that counted as reading material, but he'd learned a long time ago not to argue with the girls about that sort of thing.

"Then by all means come in," Sami said with a chuckle.

Sami was sitting up in her bed, propped up against a pillow, and dressed in a pair of light blue pajamas, her golden hair pulled back into a loose ponytail at the nape of her neck to keep her hair out of her face. Lucas was seated in a chair beside her bed, and Will was sprawled out on the couch, his attention glued to the television mounted in the corner of the room.

Rex saw Lucas' gaze drift around the room, pausing briefly on him, before focusing in on Philip. "Hey, bro," he said, blinking in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Thought I'm come by and see how you three are doing," Philip replied casually. "Hey, Will, what are you watching?"

"Star Wars," Will replied, without looking away from the television. "Episode Five."

"Which one is that again?" Philip asked.

_"Empire Strikes Back," _Rex answered reflexively.

That got Will's attention, and the kid grinned up at him. "Want to watch it with me, Uncle Rex?"

Rex glanced over at Mimi, who gave him an encouraging smile, so he shrugged. "Sure," he replied, and dropped down beside Will on the couch. Up on screen, the famous revelation was taking place on Bespin, with Darth Vader announcing that he was, in fact, Skywalker's father. "Ah, the best part of the movie."

"Definitely," Will agreed enthusiastically, and Rex smiled at his nephew's exuberance before glancing back up at the others. Philip and Shawn were standing over by Lucas, talking to Will's father quietly, and Mimi was busy watching him and Will with a smile on her face, but Belle had gone immediately over to Sami's bedside and was just now pulling back from a long embrace with her older sister.

"How are you feeling today?" Belle asked.

"Okay." Sami shrugged. "They're starting to wean me off of the morphine, which sucks, but Lexie says they're going to switch to codeine once the morphine is out of my system."

"You sound like a junkie when you say that," Shawn observed with a snort.

"Laugh it up, Brady," Sami retorted with a scowl. "When I get out of this bed, I'm going to hurt you."

Shawn's expression sobered quickly, but not from any sort of fear at Sami's threat. Instead, Rex saw a flicker of guilt cross Shawn's face as he swallowed. "I'm sorry," he said quietly, a lump in his throat.

Sami frowned, bewildered. "I wasn't serious, Shawn," she said.

"Not about that," Shawn shook his head. "About what happened at the wedding. I shouldn't have locked you outside in the cold, not with a serial killer on the loose."

"Oh, not this again," Sami groaned in exasperation. "Shawn, I'm going to tell you the same thing I told Lucas, and I'm only going to say it once, so get it through your thick head, okay? This isn't your fault, you didn't know."

"Still, I should have-"

"Shawn," Sami cut him off, clearly irritated. "I don't want to hear another word about it, and I mean it. It was not your fault, it was not Lucas' fault, it was not anyone in this room's fault. Okay?"

"Okay," Shawn conceded at last, nodding his head.

"Good," Sami said.

"Well, I guess you really are feeling better," Mimi joked lightly.

"Nah, she's always demanding and stubborn," Lucas retorted with a smirk, earning him an annoyed scowl from Sami. "Whether she feels up to it or not."

"You're a funny guy, Lucas," Sami muttered with a glare.

"Well, funny looking, anyway," Philip said with a grin, stepping out of the way as Lucas tried to smack him in the arm.

"Did you come here just to annoy me, little brother?" Lucas demanded.

"Of course not," Philip replied. "That was a bonus. I actually came to see if maybe you and Will wanted to come eat lunch with me before I head back to base this afternoon."

"You have to go back already?" Belle asked with a frown.

Philip nodded seriously. "I only had a few days leave for the wedding. I'm due back tonight by six."

"Wow," Lucas sighed. "I feel bad, Philip, this is the first leave you've had in a month, and we didn't get to spend any time together."

"I've still got a few hours," Philip pointed out. "And there's no one I'd rather have lunch with than my favorite big brother."

"Of course I'm your favorite," Lucas snickered. "But that's not saying much considering the only other choice is Austin."

Rex glanced over at Sami, curious to see what reaction his elusive half-brother the boxer's name would have on her, but strangely enough she didn't even seem to notice Austin had been mentioned. In fact, if he wasn't mistaken, she seemed too absorbed in studying Lucas' profile to notice much of anything.

"What do you say?" Philip asked, ignoring Lucas' jibe at their absent brother. "We could go to the Pub if you want."

"That'd be great," Will piped up, tearing his gaze away from the television screen. "I'm starving."

Lucas hesitated, glancing over at Sami, who rolled her eyes. "Go," she encouraged him. "One of us needs to eat real food instead of this stuff they try to force on you here. And our son shouldn't have to suffer through food poisoning."

"If you're good, I'll sneak something back for you," Lucas promised her with a wink.

Sami's eyes lit up. "A cheeseburger?"

"I was thinking more along the lines of some of soup," Lucas replied with a faint smirk. "Somehow I doubt Lexie would approve if I brought you back a burger."

"Fascist doctors," Sami groaned, and Rex smiled despite himself.

"Maybe we can save you some of our fries," Will suggested slyly. "Dr. Carver never has to know."

"We'll see, buddy," Lucas replied, clapping his son on the shoulder.

"Grab your coat, okay?"

"Okay," Will said, scrambling off of the couch and over to the corner where his coat was sitting on the corner table.

"I'm glad you're feeling better, Sami," Philip said with a polite, but not insincere, smile.

"Thanks," Sami said with a weak smile of her own. "And thanks for kidnapping these two for a while, especially your brother here. He's been driving me crazy."

"Oh, is that so?" Lucas asked, with mock offense.

"You always drive me crazy, Lucas," Sami reminded him wryly. "And I'm always more than happy to return the favor."

Lucas rolled his eyes, grabbing his own jacket from the back of his chair and slipping it on. "I know you are," he replied with a smirk. "Don't overdo it while we're gone, alright? If you need anything, use your call-button to get Lexie or one of the nurses in here, even if it's just that your pillow needs fluffing."

"I'm not an invalid, Lucas," Sami scoffed indignantly. "I can fluff my own pillows."

"Oh, really? Then why do you keep whining for me to do it, hmm?" Lucas asked, raising his eyebrow. "Or do you just like it when I fluff your pillows for you?"

Shawn coughed loudly, and Belle placed a hand over her mouth, clearly mortified by the suggestive nature of that question, whether intentional or not. Rex had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing out loud at the expression on Lucas' face as the double meaning of his own words sunk in.

Philip opened his mouth to say something, then stopped, thinking better of it when he remembered Will was in the room. Sami blushed, glaring at Lucas, but the corner of her mouth twitched of its own accord.  
Luckily for Lucas, Will apparently remained blissfully oblivious, and hurried back to his mother's bedside to give her a quick hug and a kiss.

"Bye, Mom," he said.

"Bye, sweetie," Sami said with a tender smile. "Be good for your Dad and Uncle Philip, okay?"

"I will," Will promised, and bounding over to Philip, who opened the door, and ducked under his uncle's arm and out into the hallway. "Let's go, Dad, I'm hungry!"

"You're always hungry," Belle called after him with a laugh.

"Don't let him have dessert unless he eats something good for lunch, okay?" Sami instructed Lucas with a stern look.

"I won't," Lucas assured her, starting towards the door. "We'll be back soon. My cell phone is on if you need me."

"I'm fine," Sami insisted. "Now go."

"Bye, Lucas," Mimi and Belle both called. "Bye, Philip."

"Have a good lunch," Shawn added.

Rex remained silent, not having anything to say to either of the two men that he was unfortunately related to. The only thing he had in common with either of them was a few strands of DNA, and that wasn't likely to change.

"So how long are they keeping you here?" Shawn asked once they were gone.

"Till the end of the week," Sami sighed in frustration. "Lexie says they need to keep me under observation, in case there are any complications or whatever."

"Better safe than sorry," Mimi commented.

Sami scrunched up her nose, making a face. "Now you sound like Lucas."

"He's been here around the clock practically since you were admitted, huh?" Mimi asked, and Rex recognized the speculative gleam in her eyes. "Do he and Will go home at night, or are they camping out in here with you?"

"They leave just long enough to sleep, then they're right back here again," Belle answered before her sister could open her mouth. "I don't think they trust the hospital to take good care of her like they would."

Though her words were spoken in a teasing manner, Rex wasn't so sure that she was wrong. He knew that Sami and Lucas had a long and complicated history together, full of bitterness and hurt, but he'd noticed over the past year that for two people who everyone claimed could barely tolerate one another even for their son's sake, Lucas and Sami spent an awful lot of time together.

And hadn't Sami warned him to leave Lucas alone, back when the two men had been squabbling over who should control the DiMera empire in Tony's absence? It was rather ironic that they'd been butting heads over that, when neither of them wanted anything to do with Tony now. Lucas had made a point of quitting after Sami's attack, and though Tony had tried to contact him several times since New Year's Eve, Rex had no desire to see or speak with the man.

Mimi had asked him that night what he was going to do if it turned out that Tony was, indeed, innocent, and Rex still didn't have an answer for her. He wasn't sure what he wanted anymore, much less where he belonged. His idea of family had shifted and changed too many times since his arrival in Salem for him to have even the faintest idea, but the one fact he found painfully inescapable was that Sami was the one person whose role in his life had remained consistent.

She was his sister, whether he liked it or not, and after losing Cassie he was determined that this killer, Tony or whoever it was, was not going to kill anyone else that he... well, anyone else that he considered family. He had mixed feelings when it came to Sami, part of him wanted to ring her neck on a daily basis, but if he was honest with himself, part of him, the part of him that was a brother, didn't like to see her hurting.

And he certainly didn't like to see her like this, confined to a hospital room that she clearly wanted out of just as badly as he would have in her place, but he supposed anything was better than seeing her laying crumpled on the ground, a puddle of crimson blood dark against the alabaster snow.

"At least you've got company to keep you busy," Mimi replied. "After a while television must get boring, and being stuck in that bed can't be fun."

"Not at all," Sami agreed, making a face, and not for the first time Rex was uncomfortably aware that she and Cassie often made the same expressions. It was a painful observation, one that made him miss his other half terribly, but also made him curious to know what parts of himself he might spot in the woman before him.

"That's why I keep visiting whenever I can," Belle said with a smile.

"And between my parents, Roman, Brady, Lucas and I, Sami's probably sick of us all."

"Not all of you," Sami retorted lightly. "But if Mom keeps calling every half hour to see if I need anything, I think I'm going to disconnect the phone."

"She's just worried about you," Belle reprimanded with a grin. "That's what mothers do. You know that if it was Will in this bed, you'd be doing the same thing, because you're a good mother."

"You're right," Sami conceded.

Rex was inclined to agree with Belle. For all her faults, Sami was a very loving and devoted mother from what he had seen. Will was the center of her world, and it was the same for Lucas. It was one of his half-brother's redeeming qualities, in Rex's opinion, that he was such a good father. Having grown up without a mother or a father, and discovering that the last two people in the world he would have chosen were his parents, Rex found that he couldn't help liking his two half-siblings when he saw them with their son.

And there was something about Will that just melted his heart. It was criminal the way that kid could make him falter the way he did.

_I suppose that's what being an uncle is all about,_ Rex thought with a groan. _Next thing you know, he'll be hitting me up for money, and I'll probably cave._

It was good thing that Will was a good kid, because with both Sami and Lucas' genetics on his side, he could probably get away with anything.

"My Dad said to tell you that they've got every available unit covering the serial killer case, Sami," Shawn informed her. "He thinks your statement might help narrow down the field of suspects some."

"What field of suspects?" Mimi asked. "Every one of them was inside Tuscany when Sami was attacked."

"Except for Tony," Rex muttered darkly.

Sami looked up at him, as if she was going to say something, but she remained silent, biting her lip as she averted her gaze away from him again.

"They haven't taken him off the suspect list," Shawn assured them.

"Dad's got him under surveillance around the clock now, and they're looking into whether or not the blood Uncle Roman found at the tree lot could have been staged or not."

Rex glanced at Mimi instinctively, remembering how close she and her mother had come to being attacked themselves just after Roman chased the killer away from an injured Sami in the alley behind Salem Place. In the span of one night, both the woman he loved and the sister he was trying to learn to like had nearly become victims of the same psychopath who killed Cassie.

"Whoever it is, I just hope they catch him or her soon," Mimi said with a shiver. "We've already lost too many people we love."

"Like my grandmother," Shawn murmured, exchanging a pained look with Sami.

Mimi glanced in Rex's direction, but he purposefully turned his gaze to study the flower arrangement sitting on the table. He knew why she had looked over at him, because Caroline Brady had been his grandmother, too, even if he hadn't gotten the chance to know her.

"I know you both miss her so much," Belle said softly, squeezing Sami's hand in hers and reaching out with her other hand to touch Shawn's arm consolingly. "But she'd be so proud of you."

"I hope so," Shawn muttered to himself.

Belle opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off when Sami gave a sleepy yawn.

"I think that's our cue to leave," Belle announced, leaning over to kiss Sami on the cheek. "Get some rest, okay? I'll be back in the morning."

"Okay," Sami replied, stifling another yawn.

Shawn moved over to the side of the bed and leaned down to give Sami a hug. "Grandpa Shawn wants to come in and see you, so I'll see if tomorrow morning is good for him. If it is, he and I will come by with Belle."

"Sounds good to me," Sami said with a faint smile.

Rex rose to his feet and silently crossed the room to open the door, holding it for the others. "I'm glad you're doing better, Sami," Mimi told her sincerely as she moved towards Rex.

"Thank you, Mimi," Sami responded.

Mimi flashed Rex a small smile as she slipped past him and out into the hallway. Shawn and Belle went after her, and Rex was about to follow when Sami called his name softly.

Pausing in the doorway, he turned to look back at her with an inquisitive tilt of his eyebrow. "Yeah?"

His half-sister was looking down at her arm where the IV was hooked up, and he saw a small shudder go through her shoulders before she averted her eyes, flipping her wrist over so she didn't have to look at it.

The action didn't surprise him, Mimi had told him once about her brush with execution for a murder she didn't commit, and he felt a twinge of sympathy for Sami.

He hated needles, too, they reminded him entirely too much of his time spent growing up in a lab.

"Thank you," Sami said quietly, lifting her gaze to meet his.

Rex glanced down at the inside of his elbow, which he knew was still covered by a bandage underneath his shirt. "It was nothing," he said dismissively.

"It wasn't nothing," Sami replied, shaking her head gently. "It was something. A big something."

Not knowing what to say in response, and sensing that Sami was just as flustered by her words as he was, Rex just gave her a weak smile. "Get some rest," he advised, and then slipped out into the hallway, pulling the door closed behind him.

Sighing, he leaned against the door and closed his eyes. Dealings with any member of his biological family were usually emotionally exhausting, and Sami was no exception. Sometimes he just couldn't figure her out, and other times he felt like he understood her better than he would have liked.

And still other times, like now, he was somewhere in between.

"Hey," Mimi's voice whispered, and he opened his eyes to find her standing beside him, a concerned look on her face. "You okay? We got all the way to the elevator and I realized you weren't with us."

"Sami had something she wanted to say to me in private," Rex explained.

"Oh." Mimi bit her lip, a hesitant expression crossing her face. "What did she say?"

"She thanked me," Rex replied, still a little shocked himself. "For giving blood."

"Of course you gave blood," Mimi said, as if it was an everyday occurrence. "She's your sister."

A faint smile touched Rex's lips, and not for the first time he wondered how he got lucky enough to have a woman like Mimi in his life. Somehow she always saw the best in him, and in others. The idea that he might have hesitated in helping Sami had never even crossed her mind, and he loved her for it. In truth, he had hesitated, because for a moment he hadn't been sure he felt like submitting himself to a needle for a sister he didn't even really liked, but it had only lasted a second at most before the fact that Sami was his sister set in.

After that, it would have been impossible to say no.

"Still, it was nice of her to say thank you," Mimi mused, looping her arm through his and pulling him away from the wall as she started down the hall. "Maybe she's trying to turn over a new leaf where family is concerned."

"Maybe," Rex murmured.

"So," Mimi said with a slow smile. "Are you glad you came this time, too?"

Rolling his eyes, Rex sighed. "Yes, Mimi, I'm glad I came."

"Good," Mimi said, tugging him towards the elevator where Shawn and Belle were waiting. "And since you were on your best behavior, I think you deserve a treat."

"What kind of treat?" Rex asked, raising an eyebrow.

"What do you think?" Mimi retorted slyly.

"I think," Rex stated with a grin. "That if this is my reward, I may just pay Sami a visit again tomorrow."


	13. Chapter 13

**Matters of the Heart**

**Chapter Thirteen**

"Here you go, Roman," Lisa said with a friendly smile as she placed their order down on the table in front of him. "Is there anything else I can get you two?"

Roman raised an eyebrow at Kate, but she shook her head, taking a sip of her drink. "No, we're all set for now, thanks," he replied. 

"Okay, if you need anything, flag me down," Lisa told them before heading over to tend to her other tables. It was lunch hour at the Brady Pub, and as usual it was quite busy, so she had a good deal of customers to wait on.

Glancing around the room at the smiling faces of people enjoying their meals as they chatted away with their companions, Roman smiled sadly. His mother would have been pleased to see that the Pub was still as bustling as ever, even without her here to make sure things ran smoothly.

He was proud of his father for the way he'd kept the place going in her memory, and he knew that his mother would have been proud, too.

"Aren't you hungry?" Kate asked, shaking him out of his reverie. "You haven't even touched your food."

"Sorry," he apologized ruefully. "Just let my mind wander for a bit." 

"About Caroline?" Kate inquired sympathetically.

Roman nodded. "I miss her," he said quietly. "The family just isn't the same without her."

"Sometimes change is good, though," Kate pointed out, reaching over to place her hand on his. "And soon we'll be able to start a new family, just the two of us."

"And our dozen respective kids," Roman rebuked wryly. "Good thing they're all grown and on their own, or we'd need to get a bigger place."

Kate sighed, shaking her dark hair out of her eyes. "Philip is my baby, and he's a Marine. They grow up so fast, don't they?"

"Yeah," Roman agreed somberly, unable to avoid the daunting thought that he hadn't really been there to watch any of his children grow up, expect for maybe Carrie, and even then he had missed out on a lot of her life. Eric and Sami had been infants when he was captured by Stefano DiMera, and when he returned to Salem years later they were just about to hit their preteen years. They'd been sent out to Colorado soon after, and Sami had come home at fifteen, but Eric hadn't returned for several more years after that. And Rex and Cassie had lived their whole lives growing up in a lab, he hadn't even known they existed until a few years ago, and he'd only discovered that they were actually his children at his mother's wake.

And Cassie had been killed on Thanksgiving, before Roman had ever even gotten the chance to speak to her knowing who she really was.

_I'm sorry, kid,_ he thought sadly, full of regret._ If I'd only known sooner... _

Of course, it might not have made a difference, not after the way he'd treated her. Cassie had hated him almost as much as she had hated Kate, and that was a burden that they shared now, knowing their daughter had died hating them both.

"Do you think things will ever get any better with Rex?" Kate asked him softly.

"I don't know, Katie," Roman replied honestly. "That boy's got an awful lot of resentment towards us. But he did attend the wedding, so there may be a thread of hope still."

"Some wedding," Kate murmured. "It was a disaster."

"Weddings in Salem are never boring," Roman reminded her calmly as he squeezed her hand. "And it's not the end of the world. We'll just reschedule, and make the next one even better."

"Better, huh?" Kate echoed with a faint smile.

"The best wedding this town's ever seen," Roman promised. "And maybe since we've got more time now, we can see about getting Austin, Billie, Eric and Carrie back home for the ceremony. How about that?" 

"It would be nice to have all of my children there," Kate conceded. "But just how much time are you talking about, Roman? I thought we decided we didn't want to wait to get married? Are you saying that you want to put it off now?"

Her tone was somewhere between coy and challenging, either direction just as dangerous, but luckily for Roman he had experience in dealing with this kind of situation. Sami and Kate had more in common than either of them would ever admit, and he'd had to dance his way around touchy subjects with his daughter on more than one occasion.

"Of course not," he soothed gently. "I'm only saying that I want to wait a little bit, just until Sami is healed up enough to attend."

"And how long will that be?" Kate asked tightly.

Roman shrugged. "I don't know, maybe a week or two, maybe a month. I guess that's really up to Sami to decide."

"Great," Kate muttered with a scowl. "If that's the case, then the wedding will never happen. Sami will milk her injuries for all she can."

Pressing his lips together in a thin line, Roman gave Kate a disapproving look. He knew that his fiance and his daughter had a deep and mutual dislike for one another that bordered on hatred at times, but he was still optimistic that he could get them to at least be civil towards one another someday. After all, if they both loved him and they both loved Will, surely they would put their differences aside for their sake, right?

"I'm sorry, Roman, but it's true," Kate insisted. "Sami will do everything in her power to keep us from getting married, and she won't pass up this opportunity."

"Kate, my daughter was stabbed a few days ago," Roman reminded her sternly. "She nearly died. The only thing Sami is concerned with right now is her recovery."

"You don't know her the way I do," Kate argued, her eyes narrowing sharply. "She's been plotting to tear us apart for months now, and her attack hasn't changed that. If I didn't know any better, I'd say that she faked it just to stop the wedding."

Roman didn't have to say anything, as soon as the words were out of her mouth, Kate knew she had gone too far. Still, Roman found his jaw clenching, and he swallowed back the nasty retort that was on the tip of his tongue.

"Roman, I'm sorry," Kate murmured, looking down in shame. "I shouldn't have said that."

"No, you shouldn't have," Roman agreed tightly. "I know Sami has been opposing us getting married from the start, Kate, and I know she's capable of doing a lot of unsavory things to get what she wants, but that doesn't change the fact that she was nearly murdered after your son locked her out of our wedding."

"Surely you aren't blaming this on Lucas?" Kate demanded incredulously. 

"No," Roman assured her, holding up his hands. "Lucas was just trying to help, I know that. The same goes for Shawn-Douglas. My point is, though, Kate, that Sami nearly died that night, and right now that's what I need to be focusing on. This killer has to be stopped, before someone else does end up dead."

Kate was silent for a long moment, and Roman took the opportunity to study her appraisingly. She was a stubborn and fiery woman, beautiful and intelligent, but it was hard to know what was going through her head sometimes. While he knew she wouldn't be too thrilled with the idea of pushing the wedding back, he was hoping she would understand he reasons for wanting to do so. Almost losing his daughter had given him a rather violent wake-up call, and he was determined to do things right from here on out.

That meant helping Sami in whatever way she needed, following whatever leads they could dig up on the killer, and making sure that his family was safe and sound.

He was including Rex into that category, whether the boy liked it or not. It was too late to make an effort with Cassie, and Roman would never forgive himself for that, but he was going to make sure that Rex knew he could come to him if he needed anything, even if it was just money and nothing more.

"I suppose we can wait a month," Kate sighed in defeat.

"Thank you, Katie," Roman said, giving her a warm smile as he squeezed her hand again.

"You better make it up to me with a nice vacation once this killer is caught, though," Kate warned with a chuckle. "God knows we could both use some time away from Salem."

"That sounds like a good idea," Roman replied, and he meant it. "A few weeks away from everything, including our children and the rest of our families, is just what we need."

Hopefully by then Sami would have made some progress towards accepting that Kate was going to be a permanent part of his life. If she didn't, he was likely to develop an ulcer playing referee between her and Kate. 

_The women in my life are going to be the death of me, _he thought with a sigh.

Just then the bell on the Pub's front door jingled, and Roman looked up to see his grandson entering the room, with Lucas and Philip behind him. "Speaking of our children," he said, nodding in that direction, and Kate turned around to see what he was looking at.

"Hi, Grandma, Grandpa," Will called, spotting them first.

It might have been Roman's imagination, but for an instant he could have sworn that Lucas grimaced when he saw his mother. Philip, however, came over to their table right on Will's heels. "Mom, what are you guys doing here?" he asked as he bent down to kiss Kate on the cheek.

"Eating lunch," Kate replied in amusement. "What does it look like we're doing here?"

"Hey, we can eat with you, then," Will said with a grin. "Right, Dad?"

"Will, buddy, maybe they want some privacy," Lucas said, shifting uneasily. "I'm sure Lisa can find us our own table."

"Nonsense," Kate said, a little too eagerly, scooting over on her side of the booth. "You three have to join us. You can pull up a chair at the end of the table, Lucas."

"Great," Philip responded as he sat down beside her. "I get to spend my last few hours before heading back to base with my favorite people." 

"You're due back tonight, then?" Roman inquired politely, making room for Will to drop down in the space next to him.

"Yeah," Philip confirmed with a nod. "Let me know when you guys reschedule the wedding, so I can get leave for it, okay?"

"It won't be till next month at the earliest," Kate told him. "We've decided to wait until Sami has recovered."

"That's considerate," Lucas said as he sat down in the chair he'd pulled over from an empty table. "I take it that was your idea, Roman?" 

Kate gave her son an indignant look, but remained silent.

"Her recovery is what's important right now," Roman replied seriously. "How is she doing this morning? I know she was complaining about pain in her abdomen when I visited last night." 

"They're weaning her off of the morphine," Lucas explained. "Lexie says that today and tomorrow will probably be pretty uncomfortable, but Sami's toughing it out."

"Aunt Belle and Shawn are there with her now, and Mimi and Uncle Rex came, too," Will announced as he reached around Roman to grab some menus from the menu holder.

"Rex is there?" Kate asked, her surprise visible on her face.

"Yeah, he is," Will said with an absent nod, passing menus to Lucas and Philip. "I like Uncle Rex, he's cool."

"Oh, and I'm not?" Philip demanded teasingly.

"You're cool, too, Uncle Philip," Will said with a wry grin. "Just a different kind of cool."

"Why you little..." Philip reached across the table and playfully gave Will a noogie, messing up the boy's hair and eliciting a cry of protest from his nephew.

"You should come visit us more often when you have leave," Lucas told his younger brother. "I don't see you enough, and I'm sure Will would love to have you over. And Sami wouldn't mind if you came to see him at her place, either."

"I'll give it a shot," Philip agreed, studying his menu. "Hmm, all of her talk about cheeseburgers must have gotten to me. I think that's what I'm going to have."

"Me, too," Will decided aloud. "And a milkshake."

"Only if you eat a salad with your burger," Lucas said. "Okay?" 

"Yeah, okay," Will agreed with a shrug. "Are we going to order something to take to Mom?"

Roman raised an eyebrow at that, curious to whether or not Lexie would approve, but he didn't comment. Lucas had been doing a good job taking care of Sami since her attack, if he wanted to do something nice by bringing her back some decent food, he didn't think there was any harm in that.

"We'll see, buddy," Lucas responded as he eyed his own menu appraisingly.

"Hi, boys," Lisa said, stopping at their table with a smile. "If you know what you want, I'll go ahead and take you order to the kitchen before I take my break."

"That'd be great, Lisa, thanks," Philip replied.

Once all three boys had given her their orders, Lisa headed towards the kitchen, and Roman collected the menus to put them back in their place.

"Is Grandpa Shawn here?" Will asked, looking around with a frown. "I don't see him."

"He's upstairs," Roman answered. "Why don't you run on up and say hello to him, huh? I'm sure he'd love to see you."

"Okay," Will nodded and bounded off towards the back hallway.

"He seems to be in better spirits than he was a few days ago," Kate observed with a small smile as she watched him disappear around the corner.

"That's because his mother is doing better," Lucas replied, giving her a rather pointed look. "He's happy because Sami's going to be coming home in a few days."

"Of course he is," Kate agreed reluctantly.

"I'm happy she gets to go home soon, too," Philip said, clearly noticing the tension between his brother and mother, just as Roman had, and trying to diffuse it. "Hospitals aren't a fun place to be stuck, but at least she's got a lot of company coming and going all the time."

"And some company that never leaves," Kate muttered under her breath. 

If Lucas heard her, he chose to ignore that remark. "Belle has been great this week. I don't know how that girl stays so cheerful all the time, but it's good for Sami right now. Marlena calls just about every half hour to check up on her, and even Brady has come by to spend time with her."

"Yeah, he and Chloe mentioned they were going to see her the other day at breakfast," Philip replied with a nod. "Has John gone to see her at all?"

"He came with Marlena and Belle after she regained consciousness," Lucas answered, his brows furrowing slightly. "And he had some flowers delivered this morning. I think he's trying to give her space, so she doesn't get stressed out while she's trying to recover, but he still wants her to know that she's got his support if she needs it and all."

Distantly, Roman was aware that Kate rolled her eyes at that for some reason, but he was too distracted to give it much thought. In the past, he had been dead-set against John having anything to do with Sami's life. The twins had been sent to Colorado in the hopes that being away from Salem might make it easier for them to adjust to their 'real' family, and even after Sami returned to town, he had made it clear to John that he wanted the other man to stay far away from his daughter.

He'd done those things out of jealousy and insecurity, because he was painfully aware that Sami and Eric had still loved John, maybe more than they had loved him. Now, though, he wondered if he had made a mistake, if he had sacrificed his children's well-being for the sake of his own pride. Sami had a good deal of abandonment issues that usually got her into trouble, because she didn't trust anyone to stick around, and while Eric steered clear of conflict for the most part, he hadn't come out of their childhood unscathed, either.

Sami lashed out at those around her, it was her defense mechanism to hurt people when she felt threatened. Eric, however, simply stayed away. That was how he dealt with the complicated and confusing family he didn't know how to fix, by building his own life far away from Salem, and far away from them.

_And Rex has his own truckload of issues, too, Roman thought grimly. And I don't have a clue how to help any of them. _

"Here you go, boys," Lisa announced, appearing at their table with a tray of food. She placed the plates down in front of Lucas and Philip, and set the cheeseburger and salad down next to Roman. "I'll bring out Will's milkshake in a few minutes."

"Thank you, Lisa," Lucas said, picking up his fork. "I appreciate it."

"No problem," Lisa replied, moving over to the next table to refill the customer's water glasses from the pitcher on her tray.

"Well, now that your food is here, we can all eat," Kate said, and for the next few minutes silence descended over the table as everyone dug in.

When Will returned, Philip was already halfway done with his burger, and Lucas had made good progress on his own lunch, as well. "Grandpa Shawn said he's going to fix a take-out box for Mom," Will informed his father as he sat down. "So we have to stop by the kitchen before we leave to pick it up."

"Okay," Lucas nodded. "Eat your food. Lisa's going to bring your milkshake out in a bit, so make sure you finish off that salad before then, alright? Your Mom will have a fit if you don't."

"Why is that she gets to eat dessert whenever she wants, but I don't?" Will asked, making a face as he poked at his salad with his fork.

"Because she's the mother, and you're the kid," Lucas retorted with a smirk. "That's why. And I'll let you in on a little secret, buddy- she doesn't let me eat dessert first either."

Roman and Philip both smiled at that, but Kate pressed her lips together tightly, not looking pleased, which was baffling considering she ought to be enjoying the chance to have lunch with two of her sons and her grandson all at once.

"Maybe we can convince her to let us eat dessert before dinner while you stay with us," Will suggested with a sly grin.

"Stay with you?" Roman echoed with a frown. "What does that mean?"

"Yes, Lucas," Kate said coolly. "What does that mean?"

"Lexie said that when Sami is released, she's still going to be recovering at home," Lucas answered calmly. "I'm going to help out and take care of things until she's back on her feet again."

"Lucas, you can't be serious," Kate protested.

"Why not?" Lucas demanded.

"Yeah, Grandma," Will piped up, with a confused look on his face. "What's so wrong with Dad helping out? Mom was attacked by the killer, remember?"

"Yes, Will, I remember," Kate said with forced calm, glaring at Lucas, but she didn't say anything further.

"I appreciate you looking after Sami like you've been doing, Lucas," Roman said, clearing his throat. "It puts her mother and I at ease to know that she's got someone around to make sure she doesn't overdo it."

"It's not a problem," Lucas assured him. "I'm glad to be of help."

"Besides," Will added dryly. "Dad's the only one who can match Mom's stubbornness. No one else could get her to stay in bed this long." 

"Don't give me too much credit, buddy," Lucas remarked with a smirk. "They've got her drugged right now, remember? Give her a few days and I bet she'll be back in top form."

"You can handle it," Will said confidently.

Lucas only smiled at his son in reply, before going back to eating his lunch. Roman, however, thought over what his grandson had just said, and decided it was true. Not many people could withstand Sami's less pleasant side, much less hold their own against her, but Lucas could. 

And as he'd noticed while visiting the night before, Lucas could also make Sami laugh and smile more than anyone, save for Will.

Roman wasn't entirely sure what exactly was going on between his daughter and Will's father, but he'd seen enough over the past few days to convince him that Lucas wasn't going to hurt Sami. So whatever it was that Sami and Lucas had or didn't have, he was going to stay out of it.

"So, Will," Kate said, smiling at their grandson. "Your uncle Rex came by the hospital to see your mother, huh?"

"Yeah," Will answered, giving her a look that clearly said 'I already told you that', a look that

Roman recognized all too well, having seen Sami direct it his way too many times over the years.

"He didn't happen to mention me or your grandfather, did he?" Kate asked, and Roman gave a sad shake of his head, feeling for her. She so desperately wanted even the slightest hint of a relationship with their son, and Rex didn't appear to have any desire to have anything to do with her at all, at least not yet.

"No," Will said with a shrug. "Like I said, he came to see Mom. He likes her, I can tell."

"Well, good," Roman said, and the smile that touched his lips was sincere. "I'm glad to hear it."

"Me, too," Will nodded. "I like Uncle Rex, and I think Mom might be starting to like him, too. Aunt Belle says that it's important for family to make... what was that word again, Dad?"

"Amends," Lucas supplied.

"Right, amends," Will agreed. "I think she was talking about Granddad John, but it applies to Uncle Rex, too, doesn't it?"

"You're right, Will," Roman confirmed, not for the first time amazed by his grandson's maturity.

Most boys his age were self-absorbed, not necessarily selfish, but oblivious to what was going on around them. Whether it was because of his childhood, with his parents fighting over custody, or simply genetics, the better qualities of both his parents shining clearly in him, Roman didn't know, but he was proud regardless. "It does." 

"Anyway," Will shrugged, taking a bite of his salad. "Uncle Rex is pretty cool. And I bet I'm the only kid in school with a double uncle." 

"A double uncle?" Philip echoed.

"Yeah," Will replied. "You know, an uncle who's related to both my parents. Uncle Rex is Mom's brother, and yours and Dad's, too, right?"

"Right," Philip agreed begrudgingly.

"So he's my double uncle," Will concluded, as if it should be obvious to everyone. "Which is practically the same as a full uncle, anyway, but it sounds cooler to say he's my double uncle." 

"Huh," Philip said, tilting his head thoughtfully. "You've got a point. How'd you get so smart, kiddo?"

"He gets that from Sami," Lucas responded with a smile. "She was the A student in high school, not me."

"So, I was thinking..." Will said with a smirk. "If Uncle Rex is my double uncle, does that mean I can ask him for double presents on my birthday?"

"Nice try, buddy," Lucas retorted. "But it doesn't work that way."

"Have you ever had a double uncle?" Will demanded.

"Well, no, but-"

"Then how do you know I can't get double presents?" Will responded smugly.

Lucas rolled his eyes, exasperated. "You are your mother's son, you know that?"

"Yeah, I know," Will said with a grin.

"You know what?" Philip commented teasingly. "Will may be onto something here. And he's lucky, really, because he's practically related to everyone in town at least once, and half of them twice. He could really rack up some serious gifts. Too bad I didn't have a double uncle growing up."

"Philip, you grew up in a mansion," Lucas pointed out dryly.

"Good point," Philip conceded after a moment of thought.

Roman smiled sadly, admiring the content look on Kate's face as she watched her two sons bickering playfully. It had been a long time since he'd had two of his children in the same room, much less been able to watch them joke around with each other. Carrie was living in Israel with Mike, and Eric hadn't set foot in Salem in several years, so he had seen very little of either of them save for the occasional pictures that accompanied letters home.

_I wonder if I'll ever see the day when Sami and Rex can be like that with one another,_ Roman thought, taking a sip of his drink. Both Rex and Sami were stubborn and headstrong, neither likely to apologize or make the first move, but after hearing what Will had to say about Rex visiting his half-sister at the hospital, he wondered if maybe there wasn't hope for the two of them yet.

Of course, Rex and Sami becoming friends had its downside, too, because they really were two of a kind, and there was no telling what they might be capable of if they put their heads together.

And Will had already proven he had a sneaky streak just as bad as his parents', so that made him just as formidable as they were.

_God help Salem, _Roman chuckled to himself.


	14. Chapter 14

**Matters of the Heart**

**Chapter Fourteen:**

"How was that for a successful jailbreak?"

Sami looked at him in amusement as he turned off the ignition of his car. "I thought Lexie would never let us leave. Every time she seemed like she was done talking, it was like she came up with another set of instructions to bore me to death with."

"You know she's just doing her job, Sami," Lucas replied evenly. "And while you may have been bored, I was actually listening to what she had to say. Those discharge instructions are important."

"I know that, Lucas," Sami rolled her eyes. "I did work in the hospital, remember?"

Lucas was tempted to point out that she was also fired from said hospital, but decided against it. The last thing he wanted to do was start an argument with her, especially when she was supposed to be taking it easy and avoiding stressful situations.

Instead, he got out of the car and went to open the passenger door for her. Lexie had suggested a wheelchair for the first day or two at home, but Sami had shot that down right off the bat, so the doctor's orders were for her to let Lucas and Will take care of her. That had been what Lucas had in mind anyway, but having Lexie's support on that would undoubtedly make it easier when Sami started to bristle.

"Here you go," he said, offering her his hand to help her out. "Easy does it now, there's no hurry."

"Maybe I want to get upstairs and see just what was so important that our son didn't come with you to bring me home," Sami responded shortly, clearly a bit agitated, though he had a feeling it was partly due to the pain. Codeine just wasn't as strong as morphine, and Lexie had warned him that she might be a bit irritable for the next day or so.

Or maybe she really was just annoyed that Will hadn't been with him when he showed up that morning to pick her up. After nearly eight days in the hospital, she was anxious to go home, and he'd seen the flicker of disappointment when she hadn't seen their son at his side.

Of course, Lucas was certain any annoyance she may have felt would fade away once they got up into her apartment. He and Will had spent the entire morning getting things ready for her, which was why Will had stayed behind when he left to go to the hospital, so that he could put the finishing touches on their hard work.

"Somebody needs more of her meds," Lucas said sarcastically as he closed and locked the door once Sami was standing on the pavement next to his car. "Come on, let's get you upstairs and out of the cold, okay?"

It took longer than usual for them to get inside and into the elevator, because Sami had to move slowly and carefully so as not the jar her stitches. She would be able to get them removed in a few weeks, assuming everything healed normally, but until then she was going to have to be patient and get a lot of rest.

The elevator chimed as it stopped on their floor, and the doors slid open to reveal the familiar hallway in which they had spent so much time going back and forth between one another's apartment over the years.

Lucas was unable to keep from smiling as he led her to her door, knowing what awaited her on the other side. He opened the door, purposefully blocking her view with his body as they stepped into the room. Will jumped up from the couch, grinning happily, as Lucas moved aside to close the door behind them.

"Welcome home, Mom!" their son cried.

Sami blinked, looking around the living room in surprise, taking in the balloons and streamers that were decorating her apartment, until her gaze finally came to rest on the banner they had tied across the doorway to her bedroom, which read: 'We Missed You'.

As they watched, her crystalline blue eyes welled with tears, shimmering brightly, and her lips curved up into a gentle, trembling smile. "You two did all this?" she asked softly. "For me?"

"No, we did it for Belle," Lucas said dryly, dropping his keys onto the kitchen counter. "Of course we did it for you. Who else would we go to all this trouble for, huh?"

She looked over at him, and he found his heart in his throat under her warm gaze. It was during moments like this, when Sami looked at him with unabashed adoration and complete trust, that he found himself unable to formulate words or even coherent thoughts.

Moments when he felt himself falling in love with her all over again.

"Come on, Mom," Will said, taking her by the hand and gently steering her towards the couch. Lucas had given him a talk that morning about being careful not to jar her injuries, and their son had taken it to heart. "Dad got a whole bunch of movies that he says you like, so we're going to sit down and watch them all."

"Movies, huh?" Sami asked, arching an eyebrow in Lucas' direction as she lowered herself onto the couch, wincing slightly as she settled back against the cushions.

"Yeah, movies," Lucas confirmed, gesturing to the stack of DVDs on the coffee table as he made his way over towards the couch. "We got a bunch of those chick flicks you've been gushing over lately, and a few classics in there, too."

"So I see," Sami murmured, reaching to pick up the stack of movies, but Will beat her to it, handing them over so that she wouldn't have to strain herself to get them.

"I'm going to make popcorn, okay, Dad?" Will said, heading for the kitchen.

"Okay." Lucas nodded, then dropped down onto the couch beside Sami. "What do you want to watch first, hmm?"

"I don't know," Sami replied with a shake of her head. "You did good, Lucas, these are all really great movies and I..." she trailed off, her eyes widening in disbelief, and she held up a DVD incredulously. "You rented _Grease_?"

Lucas grinned over at her as he draped an arm over the back of the couch. "Why not?"

"Because you hate that movie, that's why," Sami protested in confusion.

"Yes, but you love it," Lucas reminded her pointedly. "And that means Will and I are going to suffer through it for you, right, buddy?"

"Right, Dad," Will called from the kitchen.

Sami was staring at him with a look he couldn't quite read, and Lucas raised an eyebrow inquisitively, curious as to what she was thinking. "Thank you," she said at last, with an almost shy smile. "That was very sweet of you."

"You sound surprised," Lucas retorted indignantly. "I can be sweet, you know."

"Hmm," was all Sami had to say in response, but her lips curved up into a teasing smile, and Lucas couldn't help but smile back. "Hand me the remote?" she asked.

Lucas leaned over and picked it up from the coffee table, handing it to her so that she could turn on the television. He took advantage of the moment to study her appraisingly, her skin had a healthy color to it again, and her hair was clean and shiny as it fell freely over her shoulders. As much as she had complained about being locked up in the hospital for the past week, the rest had done her a world of good. It was hard to believe that it had only been a week ago that he'd been sitting by her bed, holding her hand and willing her to live.  
Then again, Sami always had been a fighter. She was entirely too stubborn to let the killer do her in, and for that he was eternally grateful.

Will came back with a large bowl of popcorn, which he placed on the coffee table, and then settled down on the floor in front of the couch.

"Will, honey, you can sit up here with us, you know," Sami told him with a frown.

"No, thanks." Will shrugged. "I'm good here."

"Okay," Sami muttered, clearly a bit confused, but Lucas understood what their son was doing perfectly. He purposefully leaving them alone on the couch, seeing it as a perfect opportunity for his parents to get in a little quality time together.

_That's my boy,_ Lucas thought with smirk. Will was sneakier than anyone gave him credit for, possibly just as sneaky as he and Sami were, but the difference was that their son was a lot more subtle about it. Who knew how many times he'd manipulated them into giving him what he wanted as a child, without them even realizing it.

"Why don't you pop the movie in, then, buddy, since you're the closest," Lucas suggested, passing the DVD down to his son.

"Sure," Will said, pushing to his feet and momentarily blocking their view of the television as he opened the DVD player and placed the disc inside. When he was back in his spot on the floor, Sami lifted the remote and started the movie. At some point, probably on his way back in from the kitchen, Will had already turned off the lights, and Lucas had closed the blinds on the windows earlier that morning, so the living room was plunged into darkness, the only light in the room provided by the television screen's tinted glow.

As the familiar strains of "Grease is the word..." filled the room, a broad smile crossed Sami's face, and Lucas leaned back in satisfaction. He'd really wanted to do something to make her homecoming special, but Lexie had warned against anything too stressful, so he and Will had decided that a nice, quiet day at home, just the three of them, was exactly what they all needed.

And if it could get a few more smiles like that out of Sami, it was definitely worth having the song "Grease Lightning" stuck in his head for the rest of the day.

By the time the credits began to roll, Lucas found that he wasn't as opposed to this movie as he once was. Then again, that was probably because at some point during the movie Sami had ended up moving closer to him, and with his arm on the back of the couch, she was snuggled up against his side, humming along to the music.

She was so close that he could smell the familiar flowery scent of her shampoo, and he savored the warmth of her presence, both physically and emotionally. It was just a blissfully peaceful moment, especially after the harrowing New Year's Eve they'd had, that he didn't have the heart to move, even though his arm had fallen asleep under her head.

Luckily for his arm, though, Will got to his feet, placing his now empty bowl on the coffee table, and turned to face them. "I'm going to run down to Ryan's for a little bit, okay, Mom?" he asked. "I let him borrow my math book, and I need it to do my homework."

Sami sat up, allowing the circulation back into Lucas' arm. "That's fine, sweetheart," she agreed. "But don't stay over there too long, okay?"

"I won't," Will promised.

Lucas raised an eyebrow, almost positive that Will had completed all of his homework the night before, but didn't say anything, figuring that his son was up to something. His suspicions were confirmed when Will tossed his a sly wink as he slipped past, heading for the door, and Lucas snorted softly, never ceasing to be amazed at how easily Will could come up with reasons to leave him and Sami alone.

_Don't worry, buddy,_ he thought with a faint smile as he watched his son close the door behind him. _I meant what I said when I told you that I was going to find a way to win your Mom over, no matter how long it takes._

He was determined that they were going to be the family that Will so desperately wanted, and that they all deserved. They'd been through enough heartache and hardships over the past few years, it was about time that they found the happiness they were entitled to.

"Thanks for renting this, Lucas," Sami said, stopping the movie with the remote.

"Anything for you, babe," he quipped, but he meant it wholeheartedly. He would have tried to move heaven and earth to make her happy. "What do you want to watch next, hmm? We've got _Notting Hill_, _Under the Tuscan Sun_, _Ever After_..."

"You weren't kidding when you said you got a bunch of chick flicks, were you?" Sami asked with an amused smile. "What's gotten into you, you usually run screaming at the mere mention of one of these movies, remember?"

"If you like them, I don't mind watching them," Lucas replied with a shrug.

"Oh, really?" Sami raised an eyebrow skeptically. "And why is that, General?"

Exasperated, Lucas gave her an annoyed look, running a hand through his hair. "I don't know, maybe because I'm a nice guy and I like to do nice things for you, Sami? Ever think of that?"

Sami's eyebrow only arched even higher.

"Don't look at me like that," Lucas protested. "I'm serious, Sami. You almost died last week, remember that?" From the look on her face, she remembered all too well, and he softened his tone. "It made me realize that life is too short to take the people you care about for granted."

"Is that why you're doing all this?" Sami asked, gesturing to the movies and to the decorations he and Will had put up. "To tell me that you care?"

"Yes," Lucas sighed in frustration. "Why else?"

Sami chuckled softly, shaking her head. "Lucas, you don't need to try so hard, then. You care about me, I get it. I know I'm thickheaded and all, but when you didn't leave my side for the week I was in the hospital, I kind of got the message."

"You did?" Lucas asked, surprised and curious.

"Yeah." Sami nodded. She didn't elaborate any further, nor did she give him any kind of inkling as to just how detailed a message she had gotten, but Lucas was willing to take what he could get. After months of trying to drive it into her head, he'd finally convinced her that he really did care about her, and that was a start.

"You know, Will and I didn't just do this to show we cared," Lucas informed her. "We also did it because we wanted to make you feel better."

"I know," Sami said, and from her soft smile he could tell that she really did. "But the truth is, Lucas, you guys don't have to trip over yourselves to lavish me with attention to do that. Just having you two around right now is enough."

Lucas stared at her in stunned silence for a long moment, wondering if he had really just basically heard her admit, out loud nonetheless, that she enjoyed his company. _Will wonders never cease,_ he thought with a smile.

Sami shifted uneasily, looking down at her hands in embarrassment at the sentiment she had just expressed, which had clearly surprised her as much as it had him, so Lucas decided to take pity on her and not pursue it any further, although he was terribly tempted to do so.

Instead, he flashed her a trademark smirk. "That's all very well and good, sweetheart," he told her wryly. "But if it's just the same with you, I think we'll continue to with the lavishing. Will and I worked too hard on our plans to let you spoil the fun now."

"What kind of plans?" Sami asked, narrowing her eyes.

"That's for me to know and you to find out," Lucas retorted, picking up Ever After and going to put in the DVD. If he was lucky, maybe he'd get a sword-fight or two out of it.

He settled back down on the couch, and took the remote from Sami, pressing the play button. As the opening sequence flashed across the screen, Sami scooted closer to him, and he moved his arm so that she could rest her head on his shoulder. She purposefully kept her gaze trained forward on the television, so he couldn't see her face, but a small smile tugged its way onto his lips as he put his arm around her shoulders, drawing her closer.

They hadn't really talked much about what was between them after that first day when Sami woke up at the hospital, when he'd nearly told her right then and there that he loved her. He'd settled for telling her that he liked her more than almost anyone, which was certainly sure, partly because he didn't think she was quite ready to hear that yet, and partly because he wasn't quite ready to say it.

It was almost like they'd been given a second chance to do things right, in some ways, and he wasn't going to waste it. He was going to do everything in his power to make Samantha Brady happy, to make his son happy, and if he was lucky, he'd make himself happy along the way. She was still recovering from her attack, both physically and emotionally, so the best thing he could do for her right now was to just be there, like she'd said.

When the time was right, he'd tell her everything he'd been wanting to tell her for years.

About twenty minutes later Lucas was regretting his choice of movie, as there had yet to be anything even remotely resembling a sword-fight, and Sami had fallen asleep on him.

Literally.

Picking up the remote again, he stopped the movie and turned off the television, then peered down at the woman sleeping curled up against him. Her golden hair had fallen over her face like a veil, and her slender hands were tucked into little fists against his side, her shallow breath spilling through his shirt and warming the skin beneath it.

_Oh, Sami,_ he thought with a silent chuckle. _What am I going to do with you?_

The sound of the doorknob turning caught his attention, and Lucas looked up as Will opened the door. He lifted a finger to his lips, tilting his head towards Sami in silent explanation, and their son slowly closed the door behind him, careful not to make any noise.

"She fell asleep on you?" Will whispered once he had crept over to the couch. "Dad, you have got to work on your charm."

Lucas gave him a sarcastic scowl. "The codeine is supposed to make her sleepy. We talked about that, remember? Besides, sleep is good for her right now. It's what she needs most of all to get better."

"I guess so," Will sighed softly, looking disappointed.

"Let me get her into bed, then we can talk, okay, buddy?" Lucas said, gently shifting Sami so that he could scoop her up in his arms and stand up without falling over.

"I'll get her door," Will offered, moving ahead of him to open the door to Sami's bedroom.

Cradling Sami against his chest, Lucas followed, giving his son a grateful smile as he slipped past and into the bedroom. Will came in after him, hurrying past to pull back the covers of the bed, and Lucas carefully laid Sami down, letting her roll out of his arms as she snuggled into her pillow.

A soft murmur escaped her lips as she curled up on her mattress, and Lucas couldn't help the smile that touched his lips as he pulled the sheets and comforter up over her sleeping form. His hand went to her hair, brushing a few stray locks away from her face, and pressed a gentle kiss to her temple.

"Sweet dreams, Sami," he whispered.

Will had quietly slipped out of the room while he had his back turned, so Lucas joined his son out in the living room, shutting the door to Sami's bedroom behind him. He sat down on the couch beside Will, sighing wearily, and leaned his head back.

"Tired, Dad?"

"Exhausted," Lucas corrected with a yawn. "The day's only half over, and I'm about ready to join your Mom and go to sleep."

"That's probably because you haven't gotten much sleep all week while Mom was in the hospital," Will replied evenly.

The kid had a point, he really hadn't been getting much sleep lately, and what little he did get had been plagued with haunting images of Sami sprawled in the snow, or worse, of coming home to find both her and Will dead. Sami had been lucky so far, the morphine kept the nightmares at bay, but Marlena had warned them that they were likely to start occurring at some point.

Lucas was just glad that Will didn't seem to be having any, at least not since Sami had woken up.

Of course, it wasn't just the nightmares that kept him from getting a full night's sleep, it was also his determination to be there if Sami needed him for anything, even if it was just to watch her sleep in case she needed company.

_You've got it bad, Roberts,_ he told himself with a chuckle.

"Dad?" Will asked quietly. "Is Mom going to be okay now?"

"Yeah, buddy, she is," Lucas assured him. "I know it's scary with this killer on the loose, but I'm not going to let anything happen to you or to your mother, okay? I mean it, you two are the most important things in my life."

"I know," Will replied with a weak smile. "I'm just worried about Mom. What if the killer comes after her again?"

Lucas swallowed past the lump that rose in his throat, not at all unfamiliar with that fear. "I don't think we need to worry about that," he told Will. "You know why? Because your Mom beat him. She got away from him twice now, and the killer knows that everyone is keeping an eye on her. Your Grandpa Roman, Granddad John, Uncle Bo and Aunt Hope, they've got the whole police force working on finding this guy, alright?"

Will nodded somberly.

"And more importantly," Lucas continued, squeezing his son's shoulder. "The killer knows that your Mom has the two of us to protect her. He'd be crazy to try and come after her again with us around, right?"

"Yeah," Will agreed begrudgingly. "You're right."

"Of course I'm right," Lucas retorted with a smirk. "I'm always right."

Will snorted, rolling his eyes, and Lucas' smirk melted into a smile instead. It had always amazed him how much of Sami he could see in his son, in his smile and his mannerisms, something which had both pained and comforted him at the same time during the long years of bitterness between them.

"So did you really need that math book back?" Lucas asked, nodding towards the book Will had dropped on the table.

"Not really," Will admitted with a shrug. "I just thought you and Mom could use a few minutes alone and all."

"Yeah, well, I appreciate that," Lucas replied. "Just remember what we talked about, okay? I'm not going to push your Mom right now, she's still working through her recovery, so for now we're going to take things slow."

"Just not too slow," Will said seriously. "I think you two have waited long enough."

"You and me both, buddy," Lucas agreed with a sigh.

Will reached over and patted him on the back. "Don't worry, Dad," he said, with Sami's smile. "I know Mom, and I know she loves you. You've just got to get her to admit that."

"I think your Mom and I have a lot more issues to work out than just admitting our feelings," Lucas warned him gently. "We've caused each other a lot of pain over the years, done some things we're not proud of in order to hurt each other. If the three of us are ever going to be a real family, your Mom and I need to work through all of that first."

"I know," Will conceded sullenly. "You guys used to fight over me everyday."

"Not over you, buddy," Lucas assured him. "We both wanted you with us all the time, but it wasn't you that we were fighting about. It was us, and our own problems. When our friendship fell apart, we just kept trying to one-up each other, to make the other feel the hurt we were feeling. And that was wrong, because we hurt you in the process. But none of that was ever your fault, okay?"

"Okay." Will nodded. "Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm really glad you stopped Mom's weddings to Uncle Austin and Brandon," Will informed him seriously.

Lucas blinked, startled by that, but managed to admit, "So am I."

"I know," Will said with a grin, standing up. "I'm going to go play with my X-box."

"Only for an hour, okay?" Lucas responded. "Your Mom throws a fit when you play that thing all day."

"Yeah, okay," Will agreed, heading for his bedroom. "Oh, and Dad? I think Mom's glad, too, even if she won't ever admit it."

Before Lucas could even try to formulate a response, Will had disappeared into his room, shutting the door behind him, and Lucas could only stare after him in surprise.

"I certainly hope so, buddy," he murmured, then got to his feet with a sigh.

He might as well give Mickey a call and see about getting back his old position with the Horton Foundation now that he'd quit working for Tony DiMera. Even though John had already made it clear that Sami was going to get paid leave for the next month while she recuperated, Lucas knew he needed to find a new job if he was going to provide for his family.

His family, a nice little family of three.

_Mom would have a heart attack if she heard that,_ Lucas thought with a sigh, pulling his cellphone out of his pants' pocket. He'd put it on silent before leaving for the hospital, determined not to let anything interfere with Sami's homecoming.

Not surprising, he had about a dozen voicemails, probably all from his mother.

Dialing Mickey's number, Lucas ignored the envelope icon on his phone display. He'd been avoiding talking to his mother lately, knowing she was just going to lay into him for spending time with Sami, but he knew he'd have to deal with her sooner or later.

For now, he was going to stick with later.


	15. Chapter 15

**Matters of the Heart**

**Chapter Fifteen:**

Being a psychiatrist in Salem meant that there was never a dull day at work, and today was no exception.

After sitting through a few hours of couples therapy and then a session with Jan Spears, who she was convinced wasn't all there, Marlena Evans Black was exhausted, and looking forward to her lunch break immensely. She had alerted her secretary that she would be out of the office for an hour, then stopped off to pick up Chinese food from her favorite Chinese takeout place, and now she was standing at the door to her daughter's apartment.

Shifting the paper bag in her hands, she knocked on the door. "Sami, sweetie, it's Mom," she called through the door.

"Come on in," she heard her daughter reply loudly. "It's unlocked."

That last statement caused the mother in her to bristle, a nagging warning about locking doors when there was a serial killer on the loose on the tip of her tongue, but she swallowed it back and opened the door, stepping into the apartment.

She found Sami sitting on the couch watching television, dressed in a pair of light blue drawstring pants and a matching hooded jacket over a white tank top, her long blond hair pulled back into a loose ponytail to keep it out of her way. She looked tired, but stronger than she'd been in a week, which was a sure sign that she was recovering from the attack outside of Tuscany.

"Mom," Sami said with a weary smile. "Hi."

"Don't get up," Marlena ordered gently, closing the door to the apartment behind her. "I'll come to you."

"I'm not made of glass, you know," Sami protested, but she remained seated on the couch as she was told.

"I know," Marlena assured her, holding up the bag in her hand as she crossed the room. "I hope you're hungry, sweetie-girl. I brought Chinese food."

"You didn't have to do this," Sami told her. "I could have just fixed myself soup."

"I was on my lunch break, and figured it might be nice to have your company," Marlena said innocently as she placed the bag down on the coffee table. "That's all."

"Uh huh," Sami murmured with a smile. "Thanks, Mom."

"You're welcome, dear," Marlena replied, leaning over to kiss her on the forehead before sitting down beside her and eyeing her daughter with concern. "How are you feeling?"

Sami shrugged, using the remote to turn off the television. "I'm tired," she answered predictably. "And I feel pretty useless with Lucas and Will having to take care of me and all."

"Sweetie, they're just making sure you get the rest you need to get better," Marlena said gently. "You know you need to take it easy right now."

"Yeah," Sami sighed. "I know. I just hate not being able to do things by myself."

"You always have," Marlena chuckled, touching a hand to Sami's golden hair. "Belle let me baby her as she grew up, let me do things for her that she could do herself, but not you. You were always a stubborn little thing, determined to do things your way, come hell or high water."

Sometimes she wondered if that was because of the circumstances of her childhood, of having no stable family, at least not one that ever lasted more than a few years at a time. Marlena had missed out on the most important years of Sami and Eric's lives, leaving John to raise the twins by himself, and then when she'd returned to Salem years later, they had been terribly confused because Isabella had been slated to be their new mother. As difficult a time as that had been for the twins, it had paled in comparison to when Roman arrived in town, and the truth about John's identity had come out.

Sami and Eric had been heartbroken and angry, not knowing who to trust, much less who to love, and that nightmare had left its scar on both of them.

If she was honest with herself, there were moments when Marlena wished that Roman had never come back, that he had stayed gone and left their family whole. She and John would have done just fine with the kids on their own, and the seven of them would have still been a happy family.

And there wouldn't be all of this bitterness and resentment between Sami and John.

"Let's just hope that Will's teenage years go by more smoothly than mine," Sami snorted. As an afterthought, she added, "Or his father's."

Marlena smiled sympathetically as she began to take the cartons of food out of the bag, setting them on the coffee table. "Speaking of his father, where is Lucas? I'm surprised he's not here."

"He went over to see Mickey Horton," Sami replied, eyeing the food hungrily.

"Oh?" Marlena asked, passing her daughter the scallion chicken and a small carton of rice. "What for?"

"Something about finalizing the details of his job," Sami answered absently, grabbing a plastic fork from the bag and opening her carton. "He's back with the Horton Foundation again since he quit working for Tony."

"He quit?" Marlena echoed. "That's a relief. I don't know what he was thinking, working for the DiMeras."

Sami shrugged, taking a bite of her food. "Doesn't matter now, anyway."

"No," Marlena agreed begrudgingly. "I suppose it doesn't." She paused for a moment, staring down at her own food, which was untouched. "We haven't really talked about how you feel about Tony being released from police custody..."

"I don't know what to feel," Sami replied, setting her fork down in her rice. "I don't even know if it was Tony who attacked me or not, Mom."

"Do you think it was?" Marlena asked seriously.

"Like I said, I don't know," Sami answered uncomfortably. "I don't want to believe that Tony would try to kill me."

"But?" Marlena prodded.

"No buts," Sami insisted, shaking her head. "Mom, I'm too tired to bother worrying about this right now. I already gave my statement to Dad and Uncle Bo and told them everything I could remember about the attack, but nothing really stood out about the killer. For all I know it could have been Carrie under there."

Marlena frowned disapprovingly. "Sami, don't say such things about your sister."

"I didn't mean I think she's capable of it, Mom," Sami groaned, rolling her eyes. "I only meant that it could have been anyone. I wasn't trying to badmouth Carrie, geez."

"Oh, my," Marlena murmured, a sinking realization creeping into her head. "I never called her, or Eric."

"What?" Sami scrunched up her nose in confusion.

"After you were attacked," Marlena explained sheepishly. "I was so worried about you, that it completely slipped my mind, and then you woke up and I've been so focused on your health and on working with the police to try and profile the killer that I never even thought to call them."

"Don't worry about it," Sami said with a mild shrug. "I'm fine."

"I think they'd like to know when their sister nearly dies, Samantha Gene," Marlena rebuked. "Don't you?"

"What difference does it make?" Sami muttered under her breath. "They didn't bother to call last summer when I fell through the doors at the DiMera mansion."

"Sami," Marlena began softly, not really knowing what she intended to say. It was true, neither Eric nor Carrie had called her after her accident, but to be fair they hadn't even been told until after she was awake, and it wasn't like she could talk right away.

"Just forget it, okay?" Sami demanded irritably. "Eric sent me a few e-mails last fall, around the holidays and when Grandma died, and Carrie and Mike sent a Christmas card. I guess that's the most I can expect from them now."

"Sami, that's hardly fair," Marlena pointed out. "They've both been very-"

"Busy, yes, I know," Sami cut her off with exasperation. "I'm just saying, would it be so much to ask for them to visit? I mean, it's been three years since Eric was last home, and even longer since Carrie's been to town."

"It would be nice if they came for a visit, wouldn't it?" Marlena sighed heavily, opening her carton of food. "Maybe now that your father's wedding has been pushed back, they'll be able to come home to attend."

Sami scowled, stabbing at her rice absently with her fork, and Marlena couldn't help wondering if she was imagining Kate's face in the carton. "Maybe they can talk some sense into Dad," Sami muttered darkly. "Since he won't listen to me."

"He wouldn't listen to me, either," Marlena confessed, with the slightest twinge of bitterness.

Sami looked up at her in surprise. "I thought you were all for this wedding," she said incredulously. "You were Kate's maid-of-honor."

"Sami, I want your father to be happy," Marlena explained. "But I also want you to happy."

"What are you saying, Mom?" Sami asked, narrowing her eyes.

Marlena pressed her lips together in thought. What was she saying? She meant what she'd said about wanting Roman to be happy, so why was it that the idea of him marrying Kate made her stomach turn over?

"I want you to understand something, Samantha Gene," she said gently, but with a firm undertone. "Your father and I are not going to get back together. We've both moved on, we both love other people, and nothing you say or do is ever going to change that."

"I know," Sami mumbled sullenly, her eyes lowering.

"But I'll admit that I'm not entirely sure that Kate is the right woman for your father," Marlena conceded.

Sami blinked once, then scoffed softly. "Too bad Dad can't see it. He thinks Kate's the woman of his dreams."

"And he has his heart set on marrying her," Marlena added quietly. "So I need you to promise me that you aren't going to try and ruin that dream for him, Sami." Seeing that her daughter was about to protest, she continued, "Because I know you love him, and all you want is for him to be happy, so you've got to let him live his life the way he wants to. Maybe someday he'll regret marrying Kate, maybe he won't, but if you keep trying to drive a wedge between them, you're just going to push him further away, and I know that's something you'll both regret."

Sami was silent for a long moment, and Marlena studied her in the silence, trying to figure out what was going through her head, but, as usual, she had little luck.

_Some psychiatrist I am,_ she thought with a silent chuckle. When it came to other people's children, she was a pro, but she had never been very good at reading her own kids, with the exception of maybe Belle.

"Fine," Sami finally agreed with a frustrated sigh. "I won't try to break them up, okay?"

"And you'll give your father your blessing?" Marlena urged, knowing how much that would mean to Roman.

"I won't stand in his way if he wants to marry Kate," Sami said, shaking her head stubbornly. "But I'm not going to tell him to go through with it. I'm not going to encourage it."

"I suppose that will have to do, then," Marlena murmured.

"It's more than Kate deserves," Sami retorted bitterly.

Deciding it was best not to go down that road right now, Marlena changed the subject. "Did you get the flowers John sent?"

For once, Sami didn't make a face at her stepfather's name. Instead, she merely pointed at something across the room, and when Marlena turned around she spotted a lovely arrangement of roses sitting on the kitchen counter. For the first time, she noticed the balloons and streamers which adorned the room, but she didn't ask.

"They were delivered sometime yesterday while I was taking a nap," Sami replied. "Lucas signed for them."

"I think that arrangement is twice as big as the one I got for our anniversary," Marlena informed her, not minding that she was technically exaggerating. Hers had been about the same size, maybe a tiny bit smaller, but Sami didn't need to know that.

"John has good taste in flowers," Sami acknowledged, deftly avoiding what Marlena had been trying to hint at with an ease that she found admirable, albeit frustrating. "I'll give him that much."

"He has good taste period," Marlena retorted with a small smile. "In wives, in daughters..."

"Daughter," Sami corrected sharply. "John had one daughter, Mom, and that's Belle, not me."

"You can keep telling yourself that as long as you want, sweetie-girl," Marlena said with a frown. "But it doesn't make John any less your father. He raised you and Eric all on his own. Roman and I were both gone for so many years, and he was the only parent you had. One of these days, you're going to remember that and feel horrible for the way you've treated him."

"Don't bet on it," Sami muttered, but it sounded halfhearted to Marlena's ears, as if she wasn't so sure about that after all.

Or maybe she was just hearing what she wanted to hear.

"I'm sorry I didn't get to visit yesterday," Marlena told her ruefully, deciding to forgo the attempts to get Sami to reconcile with John for now. "I wanted to, but it was a long day at work, and I figured Will wanted you to himself for the day."

That brought a smile to Sami's lips, and her eyes seemed to brighten a bit. "He and Lucas really put a lot of work into making my first day home comfortable. They even put up decorations..." She gestured towards her bedroom door, where a banner hung over the doorway, and then to the streamers and balloons in the kitchen.

"Ah, I wondered what all that was about," Marlena murmured with a chuckle. "Will is such a sweet boy, to do something like this for you, sweetie-girl."

"His father's pretty sweet, too," Sami said absently.

Marlena raised an eyebrow, surprised to hear such a term of endearment coming from her daughter about Lucas Roberts.

Sami realized what she'd just said, though, and her cheeks reddened. "Anyway," she said quickly, not giving her mother a chance to say anything. "Daddy came by last night after work with Uncle Bo, and Belle sent Shawn by this morning on his way to class to drop off some cookies that she and Mimi made for me yesterday."

"That was very sweet of them," Marlena commented, allowing her to change the subject without protest.

"There was supposed to be two dozen cookies in the box, though," Sami retorted with a smirk. "But apparently Shawn and Rex were hungry."

Despite herself, Marlena snorted softly, shaking her head. "Boys do tend to eat like crazy."

"Tell me about it," Sami said dryly. "Will scarfed down an entire bag of chips yesterday afternoon. He gets that from his father, Lucas always did eat like a pig."

"You and Lucas seem to be getting along better lately," Marlena observed evenly. "A lot better."

Sami shrugged, taking a bite of her rice. "We've been getting along better for the past year, really," she replied casually. "It's just been more noticeable lately, with everything that's been going on."

Marlena didn't need to ask what she meant by 'everything', it was clear that she was talking about all the killings and the death and the rampant fear that had seized the town. "Hmm," she responded, carefully neutral. "I suppose."

She didn't comment on the fact that Lucas had not left her side while she was in the hospital for longer than it took to go shower and get a few hours of sleep, nor did she mention how intriguing it was Sami and Lucas had fallen into the pattern of playing house all too easily.

It was almost as if the two of them were starting to become a real family, and not just for Will's sake.

_Oh, Kate must love that,_ Marlena thought with an unusually wicked smirk.

The sound of the door opening interrupted her musings, and she looked up as Lucas stepped into the apartment, shouldering off his jacket and draping it on the coat-rack. "Sami?" he called, starting to turn around. "Are you- oh, hi."

"Hello, Lucas," Marlena said with a polite smile.

"How'd it go with Mickey?" Sami asked, turning her attention back to her food as she waited for his answer.

"Good," Lucas replied, heading into the kitchen. "We got everything smoothed out, and I'm going to be able to work from home for a few weeks, until you're on your feet again."

If Sami was surprised by the thoughtfulness of that, she didn't show it. In fact, she didn't seem to find it at all out of the ordinary, and Marlena began to wonder just when things had done a three hundred and sixty degree turn with the two of them.

"We've got Chinese food, if you're hungry," Sami called after him, holding up her rice. "I'm not going to be able to finish all of mine, so you can have some of it."

"Thanks," Lucas replied, opening the refrigerator. "I'm going to heat up some of this leftover pizza to go with it, then."

"What did I tell you?" Sami said to Marlena with a conspiratorial grin. "He eats like a pig."

"I heard that," Lucas said from the kitchen as he placed a plate with pizza in the microwave and pressed a few buttons. He strolled back into the room, pushing up his sleeves, and came up behind the couch to peer over Sami's shoulder at her food. "What is that? Scallion chicken?"

"And rice, too," Sami confirmed, holding up her carton and offering him a forkful. "Want to try some?"

"Sure."

As Marlena watched, Lucas leaned over and Sami carefully navigated the fork into his mouth, then raised an eyebrow. "How is it?"

"Mmm," Lucas murmured, nodding in satisfaction. "You're right, that is good."

"Yeah," Sami agreed, helping herself to more of her food.

Marlena could only stare as Lucas headed into the kitchen to get his pizza out of the microwave when it beeped. The scene she had just witnessed had been incredibly domestic, and yet neither Sami nor Lucas had seemed to notice.

_A serial killer on the loose, Celeste seeing the spirits of the dead... and now this? _she thought in a daze._ I've entered the Twilight Zone. _

"What time are you picking up Will from school?" Sami asked, turning her head to follow his movement.

"I'm not," Lucas replied, looking through the refrigerator for something to drink. "He wanted to spend some time with Abby, so Jenn is going to pick them up, and then bring him back here before dinner."

"Speaking of dinner, what are you cooking?" Sami inquired.

"What do you want?" Lucas responded, grabbing his plate and coming back into the room with a soda in hand.

"Anything with flavor," Sami said, making a face. "After eating hospital food for a week, I'm starving for real food."

"Well, you're lucky that I'm such a culinary whiz," Lucas retorted with a smirk, settling down in the chair across from the couch, and placing his food down on the coffee table. "Unlike some people."

Sami rolled her eyes, but didn't argue with his assessment of her cooking skills. "You'd better hurry up and finish your food, Mom," she advised. "I don't want you to be late getting back to work."

Marlena blinked, looking down at her half-empty carton of food, and smiled ruefully. "I guess I'll have to take the rest with me and eat it at the office. I have a session to conduct in half an hour."

"Thanks for bringing me lunch, Mom," Sami said with a warm smile. "I appreciate it."

"It was my pleasure, sweetie-girl," Marlena replied, closing her carton and placing it in the paper bag, then rising to her feet and offering her daughter a smile of her own. "It was nice to get to spend some time together."

"Yeah," Sami agreed.

"Lucas," Marlena said, and the young man looked up inquisitively. "Take care of my little girl."

"I'll do my best, even if she is a handful," Lucas promised, tossing a smirk in Sami's direction, but there was genuine affection in his eyes that was impossible to miss.

Bidding them both good-bye, Marlena let herself out of the apartment, closing the door behind her, and for a long moment she simply stood there, trying to come to terms with what she'd just witnessed. She'd been concerned about how much time Sami and Lucas were spending together ever since Sami's accident at the DiMera mansion the previous summer, but now... she was more confused than anything.

Hadn't the two of them been accusing one another of being the serial killer only a month ago, and fighting like children ever since the killings began? And yet here they were, Lucas coming home from work for lunch, the two of them sharing food and laughing, almost as if they were a married couple.

"I don't know why I even bother," she sighed, making her way to the elevator. "When it comes to those two, no one understands it but them."


	16. Chapter 16

**Matters of the Heart**

**Chapter Sixteen:**

"I hate math," Will groaned as he closed his textbook.

"It's a necessary evil, honey," Sami replied, looking up from the magazine she was reading on the couch. "Are you finished with your homework?"

"Yeah," Will answered, passing the sheet of notebook paper he'd been doing his math problems on up to her to check over.

Placing her magazine down on the couch beside her, Sami brushed a loose strand of hair away from her eyes as she scanned her son's homework. While looking over the multiplication and division problems, she smiled sadly, remembering when he was just learning to count. It seemed like only yesterday that he'd come running into the room to show her the crayon drawing he'd made for her in kindergarten.

_They grow up fast,_ she thought with a sigh.

There was a knock at the door, and Sami looked up, preparing to ease herself to her feet, but Will gave her a stern look that was entirely too much like his father and went to answer the door himself.

"Hi, Aunt Belle," she heard him say as he swung the door open to reveal her younger sister and Mimi Lockhart standing in front of her apartment.

"Hi, sweetheart," Belle said, ruffling his hair affectionately as she stepped into the room. "How was your day at school?"

"Lame, as always," Will muttered, closing the door once she and Mimi were both inside the apartment.

"I wish I could tell you it gets better, kiddo," Mimi said dryly, giving him a sympathetic smile. "But wait until you get into high school."

"Are you trying to turn my nephew into a dropout?" Belle demanded, swatting her best friend in the arm indignantly.

"Of course not," Mimi responded sheepishly. "Be cool, stay in school and all."

Will gave her a strange look before saying, "Okaaay," and heading into the kitchen, no doubt in search of food since he'd been complaining about being hungry for the past twenty minutes. Sami was tempted to tell him not to eat anything that constituted as junk food since Lucas would be home soon for dinner, but she decided not to bother. The way he was eating lately, he could probably stuff himself full of chips and popcorn and still have plenty of room for dinner and dessert.

_Just like his father,_ she thought wryly. Lucas had cooked up a nice dinner for them the night before, but he'd made so much food she'd been skeptical that they could eat it all. The boys had just grinned at her, flashing her identical smirks, and told her to leave that up to them. And sure enough, there hadn't been a single piece of leftovers to store in the refrigerator when the meal was over.

Sometimes she wondered if all men had bottomless pits for stomachs, or just the ones in her family.

"How are you feeling today, Sami?" Belle asked, shrugging off her coat and draping it over the side of the armchair.

"Okay," Sami shrugged, not bothering to inform her sister that her stomach muscles actually felt like they'd been stretched too far and that it still hurt to walk around her apartment. Belle would just get all worked up and concerned, and the truth was she didn't want Will to overhear and tell his father; Lucas was overprotective as it was.

"Really?" Belle asked with a skeptical frown as she came over to the couch, looking her over appraisingly.

"Yes, really," Sami assured her with a weak smile. "I'm fine. I'm pretty tough, right, Will?"

"Right," Will backed her up, grabbing a Caprisun out of the refrigerator.

"I'd say she's more than just pretty tough," Mimi retorted. "After all, how many people could tangle with the serial killer and come out on top?"

"I don't know about on top," Sami sighed, rubbing the sore muscles in the back of her neck absently, but she appreciated the younger girl's sentiments. "But at least I didn't go down without a fight."

"Of course you didn't, Mom," Will snorted in the kitchen. "You never do."

Despite the fact that her son had his back to her as he was searching for something to eat, Sami smiled, touched by the genuine respect she heard in his tone. It meant the world to her that Will saw the good in her, when it sometimes seemed like no one else noticed that not all of her qualities were bad.

Well, except for Lucas, of course, but he'd always understood her better than anyone, hadn't he? Even when they were bitter enemies at each other's throats over custody of their son, he'd still been the one person who really, truly knew her.

Just like she was probably the only person who'd ever really gotten him.

"I'm just glad you're doing better, Sami," Belle said softly, her blue eyes shimmering a bit, and Sami groaned to herself, hoping she wasn't about to start with the waterworks. As much as she loved her little sister, she was too tired to deal with that right now.

"We all are," Mimi piped up with a sincere smile, and Sami couldn't help smiling back at her. She'd always liked the younger girl, Mimi had been a true and loyal friend to Belle over the years, and she had always been friendly enough to Sami.

And now it looked like she might very well end up being her sister-in-law someday, the ways things were going between her and Rex.

_At this rate, Will really will be related to everyone in Salem at some point in his life, _Sami mused with a chuckle.

"By the way, Sami said, smiling at both Mimi and Belle. "Thanks for the cookies you girls made. I really appreciated it, and I know Lucas and Will loved them."

"Those cookies were supposed to be for you, not them," Belle sighed in exasperation.

"That didn't stop Shawn and Rex from swiping a few themselves," Mimi pointed out, giving Sami a rueful look. "Sorry about that, we're working on getting them better trained."

"Good luck," Sami snickered.

"Thanks," Belle said dryly, rolling her eyes at the ceiling.

"Hey, I never got to show you the stuff I got for Christmas, Aunt Belle," Will realized, leaving his drink on the counter and coming into the living room with an eager grin on his face. "Want to see?" 

"Sure, sweetie," Belle agreed with a smile.

"Mom, can I run over to Dad's apartment to get my stuff?" Will asked. 

"Just take Belle with you, little man," Sami suggested. "That way you don't have to drag everything over here and then take it back again."

"Good idea," Will said, grabbing Belle's hand and tugging her towards the door. "Be back in a minute."

"Okay." Sami gave her little sister a wry wave.

Belle looked back at them with an amused expression as she let Will pull her away. "Did you like the X-Box game that Shawn and I got for you?" she asked as she disappeared into the hallway. The door closed behind them before Sami could hear Will's answer, but she knew what it would be. He'd been playing the race-car game endlessly ever since opening it on Christmas, and even Lucas had gotten rather addicted to the game after playing it with their son.

Why they found those video games so fascinating, she would never know, but it was sort of fun to watch them play, especially when they crashed, an occurance that happened quite a bit.

_And Lucas criticizes my driving,_ she thought with a snort.

Shaking off her reverie, she smiled at Mimi, who was still standing in the room, looking around uncomfortably, as if she felt like she was imposing by still being there after Belle had left. "There's still a few of those cookies left in the kitchen if you're hungry," she offered.

"No, thanks," Mimi laughed. "Belle and I ate too much of the batter, I think I gained about five pounds that day."

"Cookie batter is always hard to resist," Sami conceded. "Especially when it's chocolate chip batter."

"Yeah, that's why we keep cookie dough ice cream in the refrigerator at the loft," Mimi said with a smile. "Never know when a craving's going to hit."

"Mmm," Sami murmured wistfully. "Maybe I can get Lucas to pick some up on his way home."

"Speaking of Lucas," Mimi commented evenly. "I hear he quit his job with Tony."

"Yeah." Sami nodded. "After everything that's happened, he just doesn't feel comfortable being associated with him. I think he's always had some misgivings, because it's not exactly a safe line of work, and we've got Will to think about, but now that Tony's the prime suspect in the serial killings, it was just time for Lucas to get out." 

"I know what you mean," Mimi responded. "That's how Rex feels, too."

Curious, Sami raised an eyebrow. "What does that mean?"

Mimi hesitated for a moment, then shrugged. "Rex doesn't want anything to do with Tony. He says he's not a DiMera anymore."

"Yeah, well, that doesn't make him a Brady," Sami scoffed with a scowl, but hearing that Rex had turned his back on the DiMera name left her with a nice tangle of conflicted emotions. Her estranged half-brother had made it clear a long time ago that he wanted nothing to do with the 'lowly' Brady clan, and that had been perfectly fine with her, but she couldn't help feeling a twinge of satisfaction that Rex had ditched his delusions of being a DiMera at last.

"You know," Mimi said quietly, a serious look crossing her face. "When you were in the hospital after your accident, Sami, Rex came to see you. I mean, I know the two of you have a lot of issues and all, but he still came to see you, and he was glad that he did." 

Now that was interesting, because Sami had always wondered just what possessed Rex to visit her after she'd fallen through the glass doors at the DiMera mansion, and she still didn't have an answer. But maybe, she decided reluctantly, Rex didn't have an answer, either.

"I think deep down you're glad that he did, too," Mimi mused, looking at Sami with a steady gaze that dared her to contradict what she was saying. "Because he's your brother."

"Mimi," Sami began, shaking her head. "I don't-"

"Please?" Mimi cut her off softly, her eyes pleading for something more than just listening from Sami. "I just need to say this, okay?" 

Sami sighed and nodded begrudgingly.

"When Rex lost Cassie, it was like he lost a part of himself, you know?" Mimi murmured quietly. "Not many people can really understand just how close they were, but I think you're one of them. After all, you're a twin yourself, Sami."

There wasn't really any point in arguing with that, because the truth was that Sami did understand the pain Rex was going through, or at least she could imagine what it was he was suffering. Despite the miles and the distance that had grown between them, Eric was still her other half, and the very thought of losing him, of simply existing without him, was somehow inconcievably wrong. Her personal feelings for Rex aside, whatever they were, her heart truly did break for him when Cassie ended up dead.

_If only you'd gotten to Daddy before the killer got to you Cassie_, she thought sadly. _You could have told him who the killer was, and he would have kept you safe while the police went after the psycho who killed Grandma and the others. _

"I guess what I'm trying to say is that, well..." Mimi paused, biting her lip. "Rex is all alone, really. I mean, he's not on good terms with your Dad or with Kate, and he may never be, and don't even get me started on the tension in the room when he, Lucas and Philip are together. I half expect guns to start firing at any moment."

Despite herself, Sami chuckled, all too aware of what Mimi was talking about. If looks could kill, then Lucas, Philip and Rex would all have been dead a long time ago.

"I know that Eric, Carrie, Austin and Billie are his family, too," Mimi continued hesitantly. "But they haven't been around in years, and even if they do ever come back, I don't think the connection will ever really be there with them. Not like it is with you."

"With me?" Sami echoed incredulously. "He threatened to kill me if I revealed the truth about his parentage!"

"But he didn't kill you," Mimi pointed out softly. "You told everyone and he didn't even raise a hand against you for it, Sami. Because at the end of the day, you're still his sister, and he's still your brother."

"Don't remind me," Sami muttered, but she couldn't seem to find the usual venom she would have put behind the words.

"Look, I'm not asking for you to suddenly be best friends," Mimi protested, clearly frustrated, and just as clearly desperate to make some kind of progress.

"Then what are you asking, Mimi?" Sami demanded.

"I just... I love him," Mimi murmured, and that love was reflected in her shimmering eyes. "He's the best thing that ever happened to me, you know? He loves me for me, just the way I am, my craziness and all. He keeps me sane when my family is driving me nuts and helps me remember that I love them before I throttle my mother for her latest bout of stupidity. I want that for him."

"You want him to try and throttle Kate?" Sami asked, arching an eyebrow. "Because I'm sure that could be arranged, and I'd gladly help him with that."

"That's not what I meant," Mimi sighed wearily. "I know Rex acts like he doesn't need anyone, but the truth is he just wants to feel like part of a family, like he belongs. I'm just asking if maybe you couldn't make an effort to treat him like he's your brother instead of your enemy, because I think that's what he needs, and maybe you need it, too."

Sami opened her mouth, ready to let Mimi know what she thought of her presuming to know what she needed, when the door opened, signaling that Belle and Will were back.

"Just think about what I said," Mimi whispered intently, giving her a pleading look. "Okay?"

_What the hell,_ Sami sighed, and nodded. "Okay."

"Thank you," Mimi said with a relieved smile.

"Hey, Mom, can we have pizza for dinner?" Will asked as he shut the door.

"We already had that this week," Sami reminded him with a frown.

"Aww, man," Will groaned, trudging back to the kitchen to retrieve his Caprisun, which was still sitting on the counter where he'd left it. 

Belle looked from Mimi to Sami and back, curious. "What did you two talk about while we were gone?"

"Nothing, really," Mimi answered with a casual shrug. "We just talked, right, Sami?"

"Right," Sami agreed, unable to keep the corner of her mouth from lifting in amusement. She had newfound respect for Mimi Lockhart, the girl was more stubborn and determined that anyone gave her credit for.

"Okay." Belle held up her cell phone, giving Sami an apologetic look. "Shawn called while we were across the hall, he needs me to watch Zack for a little bit while he helps your grandfather at the Pub."

"Go ahead, then," Sami told her, feeling a stab of guilt that she wasn't in any shape to help out herself. Her grandfather was still struggling to run the Pub without her grandmother, and with all the grief and fear terrorizing Salem lately, she knew that her father and Uncle Bo were concerned for his health, worried that his heart might not be able to take it.

"Are you going to be okay until Lucas gets home?" Belle asked with a frown.

Sami rolled her eyes, smothering the urge to scream in frustration. Did everyone think she was an invalid? She'd been stabbed, not paralyzed, and even if she had been bound to a wheelchair, she would have managed just fine on her own.

"Don't worry, Aunt Belle," Will said, emerging from the kitchen, his Caprisun in hand. "I'll take good care of Mom."

"You always do, little man," Sami said with a smile, and while some boys his age might have been embarrassed by that, Will was his father's son, and simply smirked.

"You're a lucky woman, Sami," Mimi observed, a mischievous gleam in her eyes. "Not one man who adores you and waits on you hand and foot, but two."

Not only was Mimi stubborn and determined, she was apparently quite sly, too. Still, Sami had written the book on sneaky, with her handsome co-author Lucas Roberts, and she wasn't about to allow herself to be led into the verbal trap Mimi was trying to bait her into.

"Oh, please," she drawled. "I've seen the way Rex dotes on you, you're hardly one to talk, Mimi."

"That's true," Belle agreed, scrunching up her nose.

"Look who's talking, Belle," Mimi laughed. "Shawn practically worships the ground you walk on."

"Not the way Rex does to you," Belle argued, making her way over to the front door. "He gave you a rough diamond last summer, remember?"

"How could I forget?" Mimi asked with a dreamy sigh as she followed her best friend. "But Shawn's done some pretty romantic things for you over the years, too, you know..."

Will closed the door behind them, effectively smothering out the rest of their lighthearted debate as the two girls headed for the elevator. He turned around with a grin on his face, shaking his head in disbelief. "That was pretty smooth, Mom."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Will," Sami said innocently.

"Uh huh," Will retorted. "Sure you don't."

"Hand me the phone, will you?" Sami asked. "I'm going to call your father and see what he's got in mind for dinner."

"Can you ask him if we can have pizza again?" Will replied, grabbing the portable phone off its cradle.

"We had pizza two nights ago," Sami protested.

"Please?" Will asked, giving her the puppy-eyes that she was convinced Lucas had taught him to do, because his father still tried to use it on her to this day when he wanted something.

"Fine," she sighed. "I'll ask him, just quit looking at me like that." 

Will broke out into a grin, leaning over to hug her as he handed her the phone. "Thanks, Mom," he said, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "You're awesome."

"Tell that to your father for me, will you?" Sami remarked sarcastically as she began to dial Lucas' cell phone.

"Why would I need to?" Will shrugged, a smirk tugging at his lips. "I mean, Dad already thinks you're a goddess."

Sami blinked, staring after her son in surprise as he headed into his bedroom. A goddess? Lucas thought she was a goddess?

_Leave it to our son to come up with a line like that,_ she snorted, punching in the final two digits of his number. If he thought pretty words were going to make her weak in the knees, he was wrong, because her stomach had not fluttered at the word 'goddess'.

And she certainly didn't sigh when she heard Lucas pick up after only the second ring, his voice warm and rich as he said, "Yeah, Sami, baby?"

"Will wants to have pizza for dinner," Sami told him, forcing herself not to think about what a nice voice he had, even if she'd thought that about him from the first time they met at the Cherish concert all those years ago. "What do you think?"

"Again?" 

"That's what I said."

"Are you going to eat it if I pick some up?" he asked.

"I'm hungry, Lucas, right now I'd eat just about anything," Sami replied. "So if you want to stop and get a pizza on your way home, that's fine with me."

"Okay, then, guess that's what I'll do," Lucas agreed. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm going to start charging people money when they ask me that," Sami muttered. "I'm fine, just get the pizza and come home, alright?"

"Alright," he responded. "Call me if you need me."

"Like I'd ever need you," Sami scoffed, out of principal more than anything else.

She could almost hear Lucas' smirk over the phone. "You've always needed me, sweetheart," he informed her dryly. "You just won't admit it."

"And I never will," Sami retorted stubbornly.

"We'll see," Lucas chuckled. "I'll grab the pizza and be home soon, Sami."

"You'd better be."

"What's the matter? Miss me?" Lucas asked gleefully.

"Don't flatter yourself," Sami said with a scowl. "Just hurry up and get here."

She hung up, glaring down at the phone in her hands. Miss him? Hardly! She had barely even noticed his absence all day, and she certainly hadn't missed his company.

_Yeah, right, Sami, _she sighed, rolling her eyes at herself._ Like you're really fooling anyone. Lucas sees right through you, and Will does, too. _

She wasn't fooling herself, either.


	17. Chapter 17

**Matters of the Heart**

**Chapter Seventeen:  
**

Having breakfast with the parents on a Saturday morning was not most kids' idea of fun, especially not when they could have been watching cartoons or out playing with their friends, but Will Roberts was not most kids.

For most of his life, it would have taken a miracle to get his parents to sit down together for a pleasant family meal. Even when they had all lived under the same roof in the Kiriakis mansion, the tension had been so thick it could have been cut with a knife.

Still, little boys had eyes, and they were often more observant than anyone gave them credit for, and more than once Will had caught the sad, almost longing looks that his parents had given one another when the other was not looking. He'd never understood why his father had chosen to marry Nicole Walker, when his mother was clearly so much prettier, smarter and cooler.

Then again, he didn't see what his mother had seen in Uncle Austin or Brandon, either, so maybe he was a little bit biased.

Glancing over at his mother, who was sitting on the couch in her pajamas with her feet tucked under her, reading a magazine, Will grinned. Biased or not, there was no denying that she was beautiful, and judging by the way his father kept looking over at her from his position at the sink where he was doing the dishes, he wasn't the only one that thought so.

Will had woken up that morning to the sounds of laughter coming from the kitchen, and he stumbled out of his room, rubbing his eyes blearily, to find his parents engaged in lighthearted conversation, smiles on both of their faces. Lucas had been making a nice breakfast of pancakes and eggs, an aroma that made Will's stomach growl as soon as he caught a whiff of it, while Sami sat at the table, her glasses perched on her nose as she read the morning paper, sipping her coffee.

It was such a regular, everyday scene, one that his friends all woke up to on a daily basis without ever giving it a second thought, but for Will it was a milestone.

The past two weeks had been an emotional roller-coaster, starting the night his mother had been attacked by the serial killer outside of Tuscany. It was the single most terrifying moment of his life, and the memory of seeing her sprawled out in the snow, of the fear in his father's eyes, still made him shudder if he thought about it too long. He'd been so afraid he was going to loose his mother forever that he'd cried himself to sleep that night, burying his face into his pillow so that his muffled sobs couldn't be heard in the next room.

He'd said a special prayer that night, that if God just let his mother live, he wouldn't ask for anything else. Not even for his parents to get together, which he wanted more than just about anything in the whole world.

And God had listened, because the next morning his father called to tell him that she had woken up. He'd needed to see her with his own eyes, though, so he'd hurried his grandparents out the door and over to the hospital, where he found his mother sitting up in bed, pale and tired, but alive and whole.

That had made him cry all over again, but he figured it was okay, because not only had Grandma Marlena and Aunt Belle been crying, but his father and Grandpa Roman had cried, too.  
In the days since his mother had woken up in the hospital, Will had noticed that something had changed between his parents. While he'd always known that there were unacknowledged feelings involved, feelings which seemed to have grown more and more prominent as of late, he'd never seen his parents so in synch. It was like there was this unspoken agreement between them to move forward together, and while they weren't technically together romantically, his father had taken him aside and finally admitted aloud what Will had known all along.

Lucas was head-over-heels in love with Sami, always had been and always would be, and he was determined to find a way to make them a real family.

From what Will could see, it seemed to be working.

"Will, honey, why don't you help your Dad?" Sami suggested, looking up from her reading. "You can dry while he washes."

"Sure," Will agreed with a shrug, getting up from the table and moving across the kitchen to join his father at the sink, grabbing a dishtowel from the cabinet. "Hand me a wet plate, Dad."

"How about a bowl instead, buddy?" Lucas replied, passing one to him. 

Will dutifully began to get to work, drying off dishes as soon as Lucas washed and rinsed them, the two of them falling into a steady rhythm as they worked. Sami had offered to do the dishes, saying it was only fair since Lucas had cooked, but his father had insisted she stay put and leave the work to him since she was still supposed to be taking it easy.

"Lucas, where's the remote?" Sami called. "I can't find it."

Wordlessly, Lucas stepped away from the sink, and Will looked over his shoulder to watch as his father moved up behind the couch, reaching down into the cushions and pulling out the remote. He handed it over to Sami, who gave a rueful chuckle as she took it, their fingers brushing together.

"Thanks," she murmured, looking up at him with wide, soft eyes.

"You're welcome," Lucas replied in kind, and for a long moment they simply stared at one another, caught up in the moment, off in their own little world, before Sami blushed and turned on the television.

Will turned back to the dishes quickly, scrubbing the plate in his hands dry, smirking to himself as his father joined him at the sink. He'd noticed a long time ago, probably before either of his parents, that it was all too easy for them to get lost in each other's eyes.

_If we play our cards right, Dad,_ he thought with a grin. _Mom will be swooning in no time. _

A few minutes later, Sami stood up, turning off the television, and stretched her arms over her head with a yawn. It was all Will could do not to laugh at the appreciative look his father cast in her direction, so he bit his lip to keep from embarrassing his parents.

"I'm going to go brush my teeth," Sami announced.

"Okay." 

"Thanks for making breakfast," she said with a small smile. "It was really good."

"Thank you," Lucas replied, smiling back at her as he rinsed soap off of a glass. "And you're welcome."

He watched her until she disappeared into the bathroom, then sighed, and Will couldn't help but snort, shaking his head in amusement. "You've got it bad, Dad," he observed with a smirk. "Real bad." 

"That I do, buddy," Lucas agreed ruefully, handing him the glass to dry. "That I do."

"Mom's got it bad, too," Will informed him slyly. "She's been checking you out all morning."

Lucas opened his mouth to reply, when the phone rang. Sighing, he turned off the water, wiping his hands on the spare towel. "Keep drying, buddy," he ordered lightly as he crossed the kitchen to answer the phone.

Will did as he was told, grabbing another plate and rubbing it with the dishtowel, but his thoughts were focused on anything but the dishes. Things were going so well with his parents lately, it was like a dream come true. He'd always known that his Mom and Dad were capable of getting along, because there were moments when they seemed to slide naturally back into the old friendship they'd once shared, but those moments were too short and too few for his tastes.

And this past week, with his parents practically living together, had made him greedy. He wanted more, he wanted them married and happy, a real family. Maybe they'd move into a big house with a nice backyard for him and his friends to play football, and maybe he could convince them to let him get a dog.

Maybe he'd even get a little brother or sister someday.

_I always wanted to be a big brother,_ he thought with a grin. He knew he was getting ahead of himself a bit, but he didn't care, he'd been waiting for his parents to get a clue his whole life, and now that everything he'd ever wanted seemed to be falling into place, he was on Cloud Nine.

"Hello?" Lucas asked, cradling the phone to his ear. "Bo, hi."

Will blinked, surprised to hear it was his great-uncle on the phone, because Bo didn't call that often, but he shrugged it off as having to do with the attack on his mother. He was probably just calling to check up on her, like everyone else, or to ask her some more questions that might help with the serial killer case.

"Yeah, she's here," Lucas said, looking towards the bathroom door. "She's brushing her teeth. Do you want me to get her?" There was a pause as he listened to whatever Bo had to say, and then a low sound escaped his lips, capturing Will's attention. It was something between a gasp and a groan, a sad noise laced with grief and weariness.

Forgetting about the dishes, Will turned to look at his father in concern. Though he had his back to him, he could see the tension in his shoulders, and he imagined that his father's face had gone pale at whatever horrible news Bo had just delivered. A thousand different scenarios flashed through his mind, all of them terrifying and frightening, and Will swallowed hard, his eyes stinging with tears. He didn't need to ask, he knew from his father's reaction that someone else had died.

"Do they know how?" Lucas asked hoarsely. "Yeah. God, Bo, I'm so sorry. I... I can only imagine what your family must be going through right now."

Will's little hands clenched the dishtowel he was holding, wringing it tightly, as his stomach tightened in dread. The serial killer couldn't have claimed another member of the Brady family, right? Grandma Caroline was already dead, they couldn't lose anybody else!

"Yes, yes, of course," Lucas spoke again after a long stretch of silence. "I'll... I'll tell her. Thank you for calling."

He hung up the phone, and Will thought he saw a tremble in his father's hand.

"Dad?" he asked, trying to keep his voice steady, but it came out as a hoarse whisper. "What is it?"

His father didn't respond right away, and his heart skipped a beat, not sure he wanted to know the answer. If it had left his father this shaken, he knew it was really, really bad news. But he had to know, the uncertainty, the fear, was threatening to overwhelm him.

"Dad?" he tried again, this time a bit louder.

Finally Lucas turned to face him, and just as Will had predicted, his father's face was two shades paler than it had been before Bo's phone call. It was his eyes, though, the breath to catch in Will's throat, because his eyes lacked their usual bright gleam.

"What did Uncle Bo say?" Will managed to ask, his voice quivering as badly as his lower lip was.

"I..." Lucas faltered, clearly at a loss for what to say. "Buddy, why don't you go watch some television while I talk to your Mom, okay?" 

"No," Will refused stubbornly, trying in vain to blink back the tears welling in his eyes. "I'm not a little kid anymore, Dad. I know something's wrong, and I want to know what it is."

He hated the way his voice cracked mid-sentence, the way he sounded like he was, despite his protests, just a kid.

"Will, I don't..." Lucas trailed off, looking at something behind him. 

Will followed his father's gaze and turned to see that his mother had just emerged from the bathroom, a smile on her face. The smile quickly faded, though, as she took in their somber expressions, and her hand went to the wall, as if her knees were about to give way under her.

"What happened?" she asked breathlessly, her blue eyes, which Will had always thought were as clear as the sky, clouding with fear.

Lucas swallowed, the lump in his throat visible as he looked at Sami with such sadness and regret, that Will knew his father didn't want to be the one to tell her, to be the one to hurt her with the news. "I think you need to go to your room, Will," he rasped, unable to take his eyes off of Sami.

"No," Will repeated shortly, trying to be strong, trying not to let his father see the tears in his eyes. He had to show him that he could be strong, that he could handle hearing the truth. He'd already been exposed to things he was too young to have to experience during the serial killings, he'd lost his great-grandmother and seen both his parents treated as suspects.

He could handle this.

He could.

"Lucas?" Sami murmured, her voice hitching on his name as she searched his eyes fearfully.

With a sigh, Lucas reached out for her and took her by the hand, leading her over to the couch. She followed in a daze, her eyes glossy, and Will perched himself on the edge of the coffee table in front of them, swallowing hard.

"Sami, honey, your uncle Bo called while you were in the bathroom," Lucas began, licking his lips, his dark eyes almost black with emotion. "He... he had some bad news."

Will's throat burned, his mouth was dry, and his eyes stung furiously with relentless tears. He tried to wipe them away with his sleeve without his parents noticing, but even if his mother was in shock, his father was watching him too carefully to miss it, and took his hand in his, giving it a firm squeeze, as if trying to lend him some of his strength.

"Who?" Sami asked in a fragile whisper, teetering on the edge of falling apart in front of them. She didn't need to say anymore, they all knew what she was asking, and Will decided she looked just as afraid of the answer as he was.

"Roman," Lucas confessed quietly, his eyes haunted. "It was your father, Sami."

For a long moment there was silence in the room. Will drew a sharp breath, stunned, his head spinning and his chest constricting painfully. Grandpa Roman? No, that wasn't possible, he was a cop. He had a gun, he knew how to defend himself, no one could have gotten the best of him.

A mournful cry escaped his mother's lips, shattering the terrible silence, and she seemed to shrink into herself, curling up into the couch cushions, her pain etched so vividly on her face that Will felt it just as clearly as he felt his own.

He couldn't breathe, he couldn't think, he couldn't do anything. It was like his heart had just decided to stop beating when his father spoke those words that had pierced his fragile little heart; _Roman. It was your father, Sami. _

Hot tears began to sear their way down his cheeks, and his throat burned with the bitter taste of grief. How could his grandfather be dead? It wasn't right, it wasn't fair!

His father touched his mother's shoulder tentatively, and she fell into his arms without reservation, shaking terribly as she sobbed into his shoulder. Lucas wrapped an arm around her, murmuring in her ear, and then looked up at Will, opening his other arm invitingly.

Choking on a sob of his own, Will collapsed into the embrace, his chest racking with angry, grief-stricken cries.

His mother's hands fisted themselves in his shirt, clutching him to her, and he buried his face in her hair, seeking the comfort that only she could give him. How had things gotten so bad? Not even an hour ago, he had been laughing with his parents, enjoying a family meal, feeling like he'd just won a million dollar shopping spree at Toys-R-Us, and now...

Now his family had been struck yet another devastating blow, just when they were supposed to be starting to put themselves back together again.

His father's arms came up to encircle both him and his mother, with his chin resting gently against Will's head, but he didn't speak, because he knew that right then they didn't need words, they just needed to cry.

And so he let them, and held them through it all.


	18. Chapter 18

**Matters of the Heart**

**Chapter Eighteen:**

Hearing the doorbell ring, Philip Kiriakis cursed under his breath, glancing over at his mother, who was asleep on her bed. She stirred, but didn't wake up, much to his relief, so he backed out of the bedroom, closing the door behind him, and headed down to answer the front door.

When he opened it, he wasn't surprised to find his older brother Lucas on the other side, looking about as exhausted as he felt.

"Hey," Philip said, stepping back to let him inside.

"Hey," Lucas replied, running a hand through his hair. "How's Mom?"

"Not good," Philip answered honestly, closing the door behind him. "She's sleeping now, which is probably for the best."

"Yeah," Lucas agreed with a sigh.

Philip took a moment to eye his older brother appraisingly, noting the tired set of his mouth and the helpless frustration in his eyes. While Philip hadn't been there at their mother's house when she got the news, he'd seen her shortly after, so he had some idea of what Lucas' morning must have been like with Sami and Will.

_It's been a long day,_ he thought. _And it's not even close to being over yet. _

"How's Sami holding up?" he asked, gesturing that they should head into the living room.

"How do you think?" Lucas replied, rubbing his forehead wearily as he followed. "She's a mess, and Will's devastated. When Bo called, I answered the phone, so I had to be the one to tell them, and they both just fell apart when they heard."

"I bet," Philip said softly, able to imagine how grief-stricken he would be if something were to happen to his father. The thought made him shiver, but he pushed it aside, focusing instead on his brother. "I'm kind of surprised you aren't home with them right now."

"I just dropped them off at the Pub," Lucas explained. "Shawn called and asked me to bring them over, the family wanted to be together. I'm going back to pick them up in an hour or two."

"Being with family is important at a time like this," Philip agreed, lowering himself onto the couch. "Mom would appreciate you being here for her."

"I'm just glad you were here," Lucas replied, shaking his head as he took a seat in the chair across from him. "I wanted to come earlier, but..."

"I know," Philip assured him with a sympathetic nod, not wanting him to start feeling guilty. "Sami and Will needed you more. Don't worry, in the state Mom was in when I got here, I doubt she even noticed which son I was. I think she started to call me Austin once."

Lucas snorted in disgust. "You're a much better guy than Austin, Philip. A better brother, too."

Having grown used to Lucas and Austin's vehement dislike for one another over the years, Philip ignored the insult to their older brother, and instead focused on the compliment Lucas had just given him. "I try to be," he murmured. "But I really should be around more often, for Mom, for you, for Will... I'm going to put in for leave more often from now on. Seeing Mom lose Roman, it just made me realize that life is short, you know?"

"Yeah, I know." Lucas nodded. "I couldn't believe it when Bo called. And to have to turn around and relay the news to Sami and Will..."

"Bo called me, too," Philip responded grimly. "He told me what happened, so I got permission to leave the base, and rushed right over to be with Mom. She was in hysterics, Lucas, going on about how Roman couldn't be dead, because they were getting married. She worked herself up into a fit before falling asleep, so I tucked her into bed. Rest is the best thing for her right now, I guess."

"Yeah," Lucas agreed softly, then leaned back into his chair, groaning as he ran a hand across his face. "God, how did this happen?"

"I don't know, man," Philip sighed, shaking his head. "I just don't know."

"Did Bo tell you anything about Roman's death?" Lucas inquired. "I mean, all he told me was that they found his body in the parking lot outside of the police station."

"I don't know much more than you did," Philip replied. "But Bo did tell me that Roman had been stabbed to death."

His brother shuddered, closing his eyes. "It could have been Sami," he murmured to himself, and Philip didn't need to ask him what he meant. Sami, too, had been stabbed by the killer, but she had survived, just barely. Had Brady and Nicole not been outside arguing, she would have bled to death, and no one would have even known until someone happened across her body in the snow while leaving Tuscany after the wedding reception.

Philip had arrived late to the wedding, expecting to walk in on a reception centered around a happy bride and groom, only to find crime scene tape around the restaurant, and most of the guests already leaving. He'd spotted Belle sobbing into her mother's arms, but before he'd had a chance to rush over and find out what was wrong, Shawn had come over to grimly fill him in on what he'd missed.

He couldn't really blame Sami for trying to object to the wedding, the truth was he wasn't all that thrilled about it, either, because part of him still wanted his parents back together, too, but in the end he just wanted his mother to be happy, so he'd accepted that Roman Brady was going to be his new stepfather.

If things hadn't turned out so horribly, he would have wished he'd been there to see Lucas and Shawn carry Sami out of the wedding, chair and all. As it was, though, he was relieved that he hadn't had to see the gruesome scene outside of Tuscany. He didn't know how Brady had kept it together enough to tend to Sami's wounds, from the amount of snow that had been dyed red by the time he arrived, Philip knew that there had to have been an awful lot of blood.

"It wasn't, though," Philip reminded his brother. "Sami made it, and there's no way the killer could get to her again, not with Bo and the rest of the force watching out for her."

"The killer got past them to get to Roman, didn't he?" Lucas muttered darkly. "He was murdered right there in the police parking lot, for God's sake! The killer is practically mocking the Salem PD."

Philip remained silent, because he couldn't really bring himself to argue that point. Six people were now dead, and the police still had no idea who the killer was. Tony DiMera was still being watched, but he wasn't in custody, although he was no doubt going to be brought in for questioning on Roman's death, given the bad blood between the DiMera and Brady families.

Knowing Bo, Tony was going to be the prime suspect for some time to come.

"Who could do such a thing?" Lucas demanded, anger flaring in his dark eyes. "Abe, Jack, Caroline? Aunt Maggie? And now Roman? Who could be so sick that they'd brutally murder all of these good people?"

"Don't forget Cassie," Philip said softly, his heart wrenching at the thought of the girl who he he'd befriended, only to learn after her death that she was his half-sister. Her death hurt the most, a phantom pang that never went away, but he was thankful for the memories he had of her.

He'd never forget the look on her face when he gave her the surprise pet bunny he'd bought for her, or the childlike laugh that had escaped her lips while petting the bunny's fur.

She really had been a beautiful girl, inside and out, and he missed her with an almost physical ache.

_Is this how Rex feels?_ he wondered, and was taken aback to realize that he felt no contempt at the thought of his half-brother. While Rex would never be his favorite person, it was impossible not to feel for his loss, even more so now that his biological father was dead, too.

"She was too young to die," Lucas said sadly.

"Yeah, she was," Philip agreed, swallowing past the lump in his throat. "I just wish I'd known sooner that she was our sister."

"You and me both," Lucas muttered with a grimace. Philip raised an eyebrow, and Lucas blushed faintly, shaking his head. "Never mind."

Shrugging, Philip didn't press it. "Cassie was such a sweet girl, it just seems so unfair for her to die."

"Sweet?" Lucas echoed skeptically. "Cassie?"

Philip gave him a cool look. "You didn't know her like I did, man. She really was a good person underneath that hard exterior, you know? She was kind of lost, and lonely, but she just wanted to be loved."

"Sounds like a certain half-sister of hers that I know," Lucas mused to himself.

"She was also very loyal, just like Sami," Philip informed him. "In fact, before she died she and I had an argument about you and Sami being suspects, and she defended Sami the whole time."

"She did?" Lucas asked in surprise.

Philip nodded. "She and Sami may not have gotten along, but she knew Sami wasn't a killer, and she stuck by that."

"I'm assuming you were defending me in return, right?" Lucas retorted wryly, but Philip saw a twinge of uncertainty in his brother's eyes.

"Of course I was," Philip assured him. "You're my brother, remember? I know you'd never kill anybody."

"Thanks," Lucas said with a weak smile. "Nice to know someone believes in me."

"Mom believes in you," Philip pointed out.

"Not enough to let me live my own life," Lucas mumbled.

"She's still on your case about Sami, huh?" Philip asked with a sigh. "I can relate, man. Last week I mentioned to her how surprised I'd been to see Chloe in town, and she practically jumped down my throat telling me to break her and Brady up."

"You know, I think Rex is the only kid whose life she hasn't meddled with," Lucas groaned. "And that's only because he wouldn't stand for it."

"He really hates her," Philip commented, and despite himself he felt the familiar pulse of anger towards his estranged half-brother. As much as he didn't care for Rex himself, his mother was desperate for even a crumb of affection or acceptance from the son she'd just discovered she and Roman shared, and he hated to see how it hurt her that Rex continued to snub her at every turn.

"She treated him and Cassie like crap," Lucas pointed out evenly. "He'd be crazy not to right now. But who knows, maybe Roman's death with have some good side-affects and Rex will try and work things out with Mom the way he is with Sami."

"That'd mean a lot to her," Philip said quietly. "He's all that she has left of Roman now."

"No, he's not," Lucas argued, shaking his head. "If she'd just open her eyes she'd realize that both Will and Sami are a part of Roman, and he's a part of them."

"Don't get your hopes up, man," Philip warned grimly. "I can't see Mom letting go of her grudge against Sami any time soon, and frankly, I half expect Sami to ban Mom from the funeral."

"She won't do that," Lucas said sternly, and from the determined look in his eyes, Philip had a feeling that even if Sami tried, Lucas wouldn't let her do it. "And Sami's got good reasons not to like Mom, Philip."

"Like what?" Philip demanded, more curious than challenging. He knew that the root of his mother's issues with Sami stemmed from her involvement with Austin and the custody battles over Will, but now that Austin had left Sami for good, and Lucas and Sami were finally acting like adults by working together as a parental unit, shouldn't Kate have just been relieved, like the rest of Salem?

She wasn't, though, if anything she actually seemed even more determined to push Sami out of Lucas and Will's lives than ever, and for the life of him, Philip couldn't figure out why.

"Don't worry about it," Lucas replied casually, but he didn't miss the tension in that statement, the unspoken order to let it go.

He wanted to ask what could be so bad that Lucas didn't want him to know, but he thought better of it. If Lucas didn't want him to know, then there was probably a reason. Philip wasn't stupid, he knew their mother wasn't perfect, he knew that she'd done some pretty messed up things over the years. After all, there was that whole mess with Moroni and his father ended up "dead" for a while and then the mansion burning down... What he hated about his family was that there was always so much going on around him that he wasn't privy to, and the tidbits he did catch onto were never enough to connect the dots.

But if there was one thing he understood, it was that his mother hated Sami Brady. He'd known that for years, it had been drilled into his head often enough. And Sami hated his mother with equal passion, as even the most oblivious observer could tell when the two of them were in the same room. It frustrated him, because he saw what it did to his nephew, but there didn't seem to be anything anyone could do about it.

Except that Lucas seemed to be trying, for the sake of his own sanity as well as his son's, and Philip was still hopeful that his brother would at least be able to keep Sami off of their mother's back, but he wasn't going to hold his breath.

_This town has too much drama,_ he thought, shaking his head. Who needed a serial killer when you never knew when Kate and Sami would next try to choke one another to death?

He really did feel bad for Lucas, being caught in the middle like he was, but if anyone could handle those two, it was his brother.

"Do you have any idea who's in charge of the funeral arrangements?" Philip asked wearily. "I mean, if the wedding had happened, it would be Mom's job, but since it didn't..."

"I have no idea," Lucas confessed with a sigh. "But I doubt it will be Sami, she's not going to be in any shape to take care of it. My guess would be Bo and Hope."

Philip nodded, running a hand through his hair. "I need to go by their house later tonight and offer my condolences to Bo and Shawn in person, but I don't want to leave Mom."

"I'll come back after I take Sami and Will home from the Pub," Lucas offered. "That way I can stay with her while you're gone."

"You sure?" Philip asked.

"Yeah," Lucas said with a shrug. "You should go, they're your family, after all."

"Right," Philip agreed. Although Bo was technically his half-brother, given his father's affair with Caroline Brady all those years ago, they weren't close in the way that he was with Lucas, or even Austin. Maybe it was the gaping age-difference, but he viewed Bo as more of a distant relative than a sibling, while he considered his nephew Shawn to be more of a cousin.

Unless, of course, he could mess with him by reminding him that he was, technically, his uncle. That was definitely a bonus to having such a complicated family tree.

A ringing sound startled him out of his reverie, and he gave his brother a pointed look, hoping the noise wouldn't wake up their mother in her bedroom.

Lucas pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and flipped it open. "Lucas, here," he said, and then fell quiet as he listened to whatever the caller had to say. "Is she okay?" he demanded anxiously, a worried look falling across his face. "Yeah, okay. Thank you, John, I'll be there soon."

"What is it?" Philip asked as soon as he hung up.

"That was John," Lucas answered grimly, his dark eyes swirling with fear. "I've got to get to the hospital, Sami collapsed at the Pub."


	19. Chapter 19

**Matters of the Heart**

**Chapter Nineteen:**

It was a good thing that all of Salem's cops were busy out looking for the serial killer, because Lucas ran about three red lights as he rushed to the hospital. With everything that was going on, the last thing he needed was to get a ticket.

Shoving the car into park, he turned off the ignition, yanking out his keys, and climbed out of the car. He was grateful to have one of the keyless entry devices on his key-chain, since he was able to lock the car as he jogged across the parking lot.

He'd pushed the speed limit the whole way there, even though he knew that if it had truly been an emergency, John would have made that clear over the phone. Still, it was an irrational fear that had seized him, with the memory of Sami's attack still fresh in his mind and Roman's death hanging over his head. It was all too easy to imagine all sorts of things that could have gone wrong, and by the time he made it into the lobby, his heart was racing.

_You have to be okay, Sami, _he thought desperately as he scanned the waiting room anxiously. _You just have to. _

He spotted John Black and Bo Brady standing off to the side, wearing grim expressions as they talked in low, hushed voices. They were both dressed in black, just as Sami and Will had been when he dropped them off at the Pub, a somber air around them that spoke of the grief plaguing the Brady family as of late.

"John," he called, and both men turned in his direction as he hurried over. "How is she?"

"She's fine," John assured him wearily. "Marlena and Will are in with her right now, we're just waiting for Lexie to come out and give us her prognosis."

Lucas sighed in relief, running his fingers through his hair. That answered his next question, too, about where his son was. He was tempted to head into Sami's room right away, but he wanted to hear what Lexie had to say, and he figured that Marlena and Will would keep her company for now.

"What happened?" he demanded.  
"We don't really know," Bo answered, his lips pressed together in a thin line. "She took a few steps away from us, pretty worked up, and the next thing anyone knew she was fainting."

"Shawn caught her just in time to keep her from hitting her head," John added grimly.

"God," Lucas breathed. "Will must have been terrified."

"That's a fact." John nodded somberly. "She regained consciousness a few minutes later and insisted she was fine, but we didn't want to take any chances, so we brought here over for Lexie to check out."

"Thank you," Lucas said, and he meant it. "I know Sami can be stubborn, but I really appreciate you bringing her in anyway."

"John here wasn't going to take no for an answer," Bo remarked, giving the other man a weak smile and clapping him on the shoulder.

John gave a rueful smile in return. "It was really Will who convinced her to let us bring her," he said, clearing his throat. "She couldn't refuse him."

"She usually can't," Lucas retorted, but he gave John more credit than the man was giving himself. He knew how deeply John Black loved Sami, knew that in his heart she would always be his daughter, regardless of what blood tests said.

John probably wouldn't have hesitated to take her to the hospital by force if necessary, and he had a feeling that Sami knew it, too.

_Sami, when are you going to realize how much he loves you, huh?_ Lucas thought with a sigh. _And when are you going to admit that you still love him, too? _

He'd have to see what he could do on that front in the future, but right now was clearly not the ideal time to bring up her complicated relationship with her stepfather, especially not when her real father had just been killed.

That would only make her resent John even more.

"Here comes Lexie," Bo announced, and they looked up to see Dr. Carver approaching, a clipboard in hand. She looked thoroughly exhausted, and Lucas could relate, it had been a horribly long day for them all. Roman had been her late husband's best friend, and the news that the killer had gotten to him, too, probably reopened the grief she was still struggling with over Abe's death.

"Lexie?" John asked anxiously. "What do you have for us?"

"Sami's going to be fine," Lexie replied, with that soothing, confident tone that seemed to come naturally to doctors when they were in comfort mode, and John's shoulders sagged in relief. Despite the reassurances he had given Lucas only moments before, it was clear that he had still been worried for his stepdaughter. "She just got worked up over Roman's death and overexerted herself."

Bo swallowed hard at the mention of his brother, looking away, and Lucas felt a stab of sympathy for the older man. While he doubted he'd be able to do more than shed a few tears over Austin, it was a completely different story when it came to Mike and Philip. The thought of losing one of them, especially in such a gruesome manner, was frightening.

"So there's nothing to be concerned about?" John asked Lexie hopefully.

"I wouldn't say there's nothing to be concerned about," Lexie corrected, shaking her head. "While she shouldn't have any further complications, it's probably best if she's not exposed to a lot of stress right now." Her expression turned sympathetic, and she glanced over at Bo before continuing, "I know that's practically impossible, given the circumstances, but just make sure that she's getting plenty of rest."

"We will," Lucas promised, then asked the question he knew Sami was probably dying to ask. "When can we take her home?"

"I'd like to keep her for a few hours under observation," Lexie replied evenly, now focusing her attention almost solely on him. "Just to be sure that nothing else comes up, and so I can give her a sedative to help her sleep. When she wakes up later, we'll get her signed out for you."

"A sedative?" Lucas echoed uneasily. "She's not going to like having another needle poked into her..."

"Don't worry," Lexie said with a small smile. "I already pulled out an oral sedative for her, so she won't have to endure more of that torture."

Lucas blinked, startled by her perceptiveness, since not many people, including Sami's psychiatrist mother, noticed her aversion to needles which bordered on a full-blown phobia. Even more surprising was that, of all people, it was Lexie Carver who picked up on it, someone who hadn't cared much for Sami in the past. Then again, she was a doctor and doctors were supposed to be observant when it came to their patients, so maybe it shouldn't have come as such a surprise considering Sami had spent an entire week in the woman's care after her attack outside of Tuscany.

"Thank you," Lucas told her.

Lexie smiled faintly. "My job, remember?" she replied, tapping her fingers on her clipboard lightly. "I'm going to go ahead and get that sedative, so if you all want to visit with Sami, you should probably do it now before it's administered."

"Okay, thanks, Lexie," John said with a sigh.

"Which room is hers?" Lucas asked, looking around.

"I'll show you to it," John responded, starting down the hall. Bo fell into step behind him wordlessly, so Lucas followed them to the last door at the end of the hallway, voices drifting out from inside. John pushed open the door, clearing his throat. "Look who's here..."

The occupants of the room all looked up as Lucas stepped into the room, and Will grinned at him. "Hi, Dad," he called, not getting up from where he was perched on the edge of Sami's bed, holding her hand protectively.

"Hey, buddy," Lucas said with a smile. He gave Marlena a polite nod of greeting, then turned his attention to Sami, his heart aching for her when he got a look at her pale face. "I can't leave you alone for an hour, can I?" he quipped softly.

Sami's lips curved up faintly. "Guess not," she conceded hoarsely.

"How are you feeling, kiddo?" Bo asked, moving past Lucas to cross the room to his niece's side.

"I'm okay, Uncle Bo," she replied weakly. "Sorry for causing a scene."

"Nothing to be sorry about," Bo assured her, with a firm shake of his head. "You just be sure to take care of yourself, you hear me?"

"I will," Sami promised.

"That's my girl," Bo murmured, and leaned down to wrap her in a long, tight embrace. "If you need anything, you give me a call, okay?"

"Okay," Sami whispered, swallowing hard as she blinked back tears. She clung to her uncle for another long moment, then disentangled her arms from him so that he could straighten. "I love you."

"I love you, too, honey," Bo said, his voice thick with emotion. "You just get some rest, okay? I'm going to head back to the Pub and let Pop and the others know you're doing okay, but since Kim's flight gets in tonight, we'll come by your apartment to check on you, that sound good to you?"

"Sure," Sami agreed.

Bo gave her a kiss on the cheek, then ruffled Will's hair before bidding them all good-bye and leaving the room.

John moved to stand behind his wife's chair, giving Sami an encouraging little smile, and Will squeezed her hand tightly in his own hand, one or both of them earning a faint smile from Sami, but it was hard to tell for sure which of them had been responsible for it.

"How is your mother doing, Lucas?" Marlena inquired politely.

"Not too well, I'm afraid," Lucas admitted with a sigh. "She's sleeping now, but she was a total mess earlier. I'm not sure how she's going to get through this."

"You should have stayed with her," Sami told him weakly. "I'm okay, I've got people to look after me." Lucas was curious to note that she gestured to not only their son and Marlena, but to John, as well, when she said that. "Your mother needs you."

Lucas blinked, pleasantly surprised at the maturity she was displaying, a rare occurrence when it came to matters involving his mother. "Philip is with her," he replied. "Bo called him this morning and he got leave from the base, so he'll be home all week. I'll go back and sit with her later this evening, after we get you settled at home."

"Can we go now?" Sami asked, clearly anxious to get out of the hospital.

"Sorry, sweetheart," Lucas said with a sympathetic smile. "Lexie wants to keep you here for a bit, just so they can keep an eye on you. They're going to give you something to help you sleep." Seeing her stiffen instinctively, he added quickly, "It's an oral sedative, not a shot."

Sami relaxed, clearly relieved, and Marlena reached out to brush a loose strand of hair out of her eyes. "It'll do you good, sweetie-girl," she informed her. "You need your rest."

"Your mother's right, Samantha," John agreed quietly.

"I suppose," Sami sighed. "How long is it going to put me out for?"

"Only a few hours," Lucas answered. "And as soon as you wake up, Lexie says we can get you out of here."

"Thank God," Sami muttered, but it didn't have the usual spark to her complaints. In fact, her spark seemed to have diminished severely since Bo's phone call that morning, and as much as it tore him apart to see her hurting the way she was, Lucas knew there wasn't really much he could do expect just be there for her.

Her father was dead, and she was going to be hurting for a long time to come.

There was a knock at the door, and Lexie stuck her head into the room. "Ready for that sedative?" she asked.

Lucas glanced at Sami and she shrugged, so he nodded. "Come on in," he told Lexie.

The doctor entered the room with a pill in one hand and a cup of water in the other. "Here you go, Sami," she said, offering them to her. "Just go ahead and swallow it. It should kick in within a few minutes, and you'll be able to get some sleep."

"Okay," Sami murmured, and tossed the pill into her mouth before taking a long gulp of her water. When she was done, she handed the empty cup back to Lexie, who threw it in the trash-can by the wall.

"It's probably a good idea for you all to go ahead and go home for a bit," Lexie suggested to the rest of them. "You can come back in an hour or two, if you like, but Sami needs peace and quiet right now."

"Can Dad stay with her?" Will asked, giving Lexie those puppy dog eyes that were impossible to say no to.

"I suppose so," Lexie agreed. "That is, if Sami wants him to?"

Sami shrugged, so Will gave an enthusiastic nod of his head. "Okay, it's settled then. Dad, you stay here with Mom, and I'll go home with Granddad John and Grandma Marlena."

"Do you mind?" Lucas asked, looking to John and Marlena for approval.

"Not at all," Marlena replied, favoring Will with a smile. "It's always nice to spend the afternoon with my favorite grandson."

"I'm your only grandson," Will reminded her wryly.

"That makes you all the more special," Marlena said, gathering her purse and rising to her feet. "Sweetie-girl," she told Sami, leaning over to kiss her daughter on the cheek. "You just take it easy, okay? We'll bring Will back once Lucas takes you home."

"Okay," Sami agreed with a small yawn.

"Looks like the drugs are starting to kick in," John observed.

Will gave Sami a long hug before pulling back to give her a weak smile. "Grandpa will watch over you, Mom," he said quietly, and somehow such adult words coming from a child made the words all the more poignant.

"He sure will," Marlena added, giving Sami a supportive smile, but her eyes were shimmering with unshed tears, and Lucas decided it was probably a good idea to get them out of the room before either woman, or worse Will, started to cry.

John must have realized that same thing, because he gently steered them towards the door, pausing in the doorway to look back at Sami. "I meant what I said at the Pub, Samantha," he told her softly. "I know how much you loved Roman, and I wish I could bring him back to you."

"Thank you, John," Sami murmured, blue eyes glossy, partly from her tears and partly from grogginess.

"Sleep well, kiddo," John instructed, then gave Lucas a stern look. "Take good care of her."

"I will," Lucas replied evenly, sitting down in the chair that Marlena had vacated. "I'll call when Lexie gets her checked out, so you can meet us at the apartment with Will."

Once John was gone, Lucas turned his attention back to the woman who was once again lying in a hospital bed, the woman he loved more than just about anything in the world. Her eyes were closed, a peaceful expression on her face, and for a moment he thought she was already asleep, but she rasped his name.

"I'm here, baby," he assured her, taking her hand in his.

Sami's eyes fluttered open and she gave him a faint, tired smile. "Glad you stayed," she murmured.

"There's nowhere else I'd rather be," Lucas retorted, giving her a wink. "I won't leave you."

"Never do..." she sighed, closing her eyes.

"No," Lucas agreed softly, stroking her hair gently. "I never do, and I never will."

Within minutes, Sami was out like a light, her chest rising and falling with shallow breathing, and Lucas smiled to himself as he studied her. Her golden hair framed her face, and despite the paleness of her skin, he could see the trails that tears had made down her cheeks earlier in the day.

"You don't have to worry, Sami," he whispered, his thumb absently caressing her knuckles. "I'm not going to let anything or anyone hurt you ever again. I'm going to take care of you."

And anyone who had a problem with that, was just going to have to deal with it.

_Buckle your seatbelt, Mom,_ he thought with a sigh._ You're in for a bumpy ride._


	20. Chapter 20

**Matters of the Heart**

**Chapter Twenty:**

Rex shifted uneasily, tugging at his tie, and Mimi sighed, reaching over to swat his hand away. "If you keep messing with it, you're only going to make it worse," she told him, and then winced when she realized she sounded like her mother nagging one of her brothers.

"Sorry," Rex muttered. "I'm just..."

"Confused?" Mimi suggested softly. "Upset? Sad? Angry? You have a right to be all of those things, Rex. Your father was murdered, and we're here to bury him."

"He wasn't my father," Rex argued dully.

"Oh, really?" Mimi raised an eyebrow challengingly. "You've demoted him to the title 'genetic donor' then, have you?"

Rex gave her a dark look, then looked out the window of her car, gazing at the church parking lot which was dotted with cars. Almost the entire town of Salem had turned out to mourn Roman Brady, the latest victim of the Salem Stalker. Not only had Roman been the police commander since the murder of Abe Carver, but he'd been a well-respected member of the community for years, and a lot of people had come to pay their respects.

_We need to head inside soon,_ Mimi thought, glancing down at her watch. They had been sitting there in the car for almost ten minutes now, but she hadn't complained. Rex was struggling with some pretty complicated and conflicted emotions right now, and she didn't want to rush him. If he needed some time to gather his thoughts before entering the church, then she would give him as long as he needed.

"Rex," she said gently, placing a hand on her boyfriend's arm. "I know this is hard for you, but you can't run away from this. Roman was your father, whether you like it or not, and that's your family in there. You belong with them today, it's where you need to be."

"He was never a father to me," Rex protested dully, still gazing out the window sullenly. "Or to Cassie. He didn't even like us."

"He didn't know you were his children," Mimi reminded him, in defense of the man who couldn't be there to defend himself. "And yes, he did treat you poorly, but he felt terrible for that. You know he did, baby, and he wanted to make it up to you. He loved you."

"He didn't even know me," Rex scoffed.

"You're his son," Mimi replied quietly. "That was all he needed to know about you for him to love you."

And it was true, she'd seen it in the older man's eyes only a few days prior to his death, when he'd stopped by the loft under the pretense of bringing some stuff by for Shawn, but it had been obvious that the real reason he'd shown up was Rex.

Mimi would have liked to have left the two of them alone in the living room to talk, the way Shawn and Belle had by going across the hall, but Rex had given her a desperate look, pleading for her to stay, and she hadn't been able to refuse him.

Besides, she'd told herself, it was probably a good idea to have a referee around in case there was bloodshed.

Her presence hadn't been necessary, though, or maybe it was because of her presence that Roman had not tried to have a serious conversation with Rex, but either way she had been pleased with Rex for at least trying to be civil with his father. Roman, in turn, had thanked him for donating blood for Sami at the hospital, and told him how much he hoped that Rex would continue to get to know his sister better, which Rex had conceded that he might do.

Before leaving, Roman had informed Rex that if he needed anything, anything at all, that all he had to do was call, and he'd do whatever he could to help. The same went for Kate, too, because he was their son, and they wanted to make sure he had everything he needed.

Although he'd kept up the indifferent attitude even after Roman left, Mimi was sure that he had been touched by Roman's words, whether he admitted it or not.

"Come on," Mimi said, opening the car door. "It's time."

Rex climbed out of the passenger side, shutting the door behind him, and she locked the car before looping her arm through his. Together, they started across the parking lot, towards the front doors of the church.

When they reached the doors, Rex paused, giving her a grateful look. "Thanks for coming with me, Meems."

"I'm always here for you when you need me," Mimi told him with a small smile. "You know that."

"Yeah," Rex agreed with a nod. "I do."

He squeezed her hand tightly, then took a deep breath and pushed the doors open.

They stepped into the vestibule, where every candle in the prayer station was lit, casting a faint orange glow across the walls. Mimi led Rex the rest of the way into the church, coming to a halt at the back of the room so that she could scan the crowded church.

The front pews were, of course, reserved for the family, and Mimi spotted Kim and Kayla Brady sitting on either side of their father in the second row, with little Zack seated on Kim's lap. Bo and Hope were at the end of the pew closest to the aisle, no doubt so Bo could get out when his time came to give the eulogy, but Shawn wasn't next to them as Mimi would have expected.

Instead, he was sitting with three people she recognized as his cousins Andrew, Stephanie and Jeannie, with Belle at his side leaning her head against his shoulder. John, Marlena and Brady were seated behind them, all wearing somber expressions, but Brady kept sparing glances over to the other side of the church.

Mimi turned her head to see what it was he was looking at and realized Kate was sitting across the aisle in the front row, with Philip and Victor there to comfort the would-be-widow. Thankfully, Nicole must have chosen to stay at home, because she was nowhere in sight.

Lucas, however, was curiously absent from his mother's side, and Mimi had a good idea of where he was.

Sure enough, when she located Sami in the front row, sitting just in front of Shawn and her other cousins, she found Lucas there with her, an arm around her shoulders protectively. Will was seated beside his father, his head bowed sadly, and Mimi's heart broke for the boy, who'd already lost so many people that he loved.

"Look, there's your sister," she whispered. "Come on."

"Mimi-" Rex started to protest, but she pulled him along behind her to the front of the church, catching the attention of most of the Brady family as they passed. Lucas saw them first and glanced from her to Rex, pressing his lips together uneasily, clearly unsure how Rex's presence was going to be received by his half-sister right now.

"Sami," Mimi said softly as they stopped in front of the grieving woman, and Sami looked up at them, her pale blue eyes shimmering with tears that she was clearly fighting to keep at bay. "I just wanted you to know how sorry I am about your father."

Sami swallowed hard and nodded. "Thank you, Mimi," she replied, her voice soft and fragile.

"I'm sorry, too," Rex said huskily.

For a long moment Sami simply stared up at him, an unreadable expression on her face, and Mimi saw Shawn edge forward behind his cousin, ready to intervene if things turned ugly, but Sami looked as if all the fight had been drained out of her.

Picking up her purse from where it sat beside her, Sami scooted closer to Lucas, leaving enough room for them to sit in the space on her left, and looked up at them expectantly.

Rex didn't move, surprised and taken aback by her wordless invitation for them to join her, but Mimi just smiled at the older girl, certain that the talk they'd had the week before had done some good after all, and gently pushed her boyfriend forward to sit beside his sister.

Sami and Rex looked at one another awkwardly for a moment, then both averted their gazes. Sami turned to say something to her son, touching her hand to Will's cheek across Lucas, and Rex focused his attention on the crucifix behind the altar as if it was of sudden fascination.

Looking over her shoulder, Mimi caught Shawn's gaze and gave him a weak smile, both to thank him for being willing to step in if necessary and to offer her condolences, but the processional music began before she could say anything, so she turned back around, making a mental note to speak with him after the service was over.

Fifteen minutes later, Father Jansen motioned Bo Brady to his feet to deliver the eulogy, and Mimi scrambled to get the pack of tissues she'd brought from home out of her purse. Her waterworks were already starting to get the best of her, funerals just had that affect on her, but she was certain she'd need the tissues after Roman's brother was finished speaking.

Bo stood behind the podium, gripping the edges with his hands, and took a deep, shaky breath. "Roman was everything that I wanted to be when I was growing up," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "He was good at just about everything he did, he was brave and determined, and he stood up for what he believed in. He was a good cop, a good friend, a good father, a good son and a good brother."

Sniffles and muffled crying echoed throughout the church, and out of the corner of her eye, Mimi saw Lucas pull Will closer so that the boy could lay his head on his father's shoulder. _Poor thing,_ she thought with a sigh. _He's lost his Uncle Jack, Great-Aunt Maggie, Great-Grandmother Caroline, and now his grandfather, too. _

"But more importantly," Bo continued, his voice quivering. "He was a good man, the kind you could always count on to be there to give you a helping hand or a shoulder to lean on. People looked up to him, respected him, including me. He was always there to keep me on track, to help me figure out my problems, and to give me a knock upside the head when I needed it. That was his job, because he was my big brother."

Blinking, Mimi dabbed at her eyes with a tissue, feeling a sudden urge to talk to her own big brother. It had been a while since she'd heard from Patrick, maybe she ought to give him a call later this weekend and see how he was doing. For once, she was actually relieved that he was away from Salem, because it meant that she didn't have to worry about being in Bo's shoes, giving a eulogy for a brother who was murdered by the serial killer.

"If there was one thing that everybody knew about Roman, it was that he loved his family," Bo choked out, pausing for a moment to compose himself before continuing. "He was a loving son, a concerned father and a loyal brother, and I know that he was looking forward to the chance to be a devoted husband too." He gave Kate Roberts a weak, but genuine smile. "He loved you, Kate, he loved you so much, and I can't thank you enough for all the happiness you gave him while he was still with us. I don't think I've ever seen him smile quite the way he did when you'd walk into a room."

That seemed to be too much for Kate, and she buried her head in Philip's shoulder with a sob. Mimi knew that out of loyalty to Rex, she was supposed to dislike Kate, but at that moment, she felt nothing but sympathy for her boyfriend's biological mother.

Bo's gaze lingered for a moment longer on Kate, then turned in their direction, focusing in on Sami and Rex. Mimi felt her boyfriend's hand tighten around her own when his uncle looked at him, and she squeezed back reassuringly, willing what little strength she might have to him.

"And he loved his kids, no matter what happened and no matter how far away from him they went," Bo said hoarsely, tears starting to well in his eyes. "It's been a while since Carrie and Eric were home, and they couldn't make it here today, but Roman always said that it didn't matter because they were with him in his heart, just like those of his kids who were here in Salem."

Sami stifled a sob, her cheeks glistening with tears as they slid down her face, and Lucas rubbed her back gently, murmuring in her ear.

"When I look at you," Bo rasped, his own tears starting to fall. "I see my brother. I see him in your smiles and your tears, I see him in your strength and your courage. And I know that as long as you're here, he's never really gone, because he lives in you... and in your children." His eyes darted to Will, who was crying into Lucas' jacket, then back to Sami and Rex, and he gave them a trembling smile. "I know that wherever he is, Roman's watching over you kids, and I hope you know that, too."

Watching Bo half-stumble back to his seat, and then collapse against Hope, tore at Mimi's heart, but the moment she saw Kate get to her feet and start towards the podium, she knew that she was going to need those tissues even more.

"Roman and I," Kate began softly, her voice strained with tears. "Were supposed to be getting married in a few weeks. Our first ceremony didn't exactly go as planned, but then again, life very rarely seems to happen the way we plan for it to. But I cherish the time that I did have with Roman, the good and the bad, because those memories are what's getting me through every morning when I wake up and realize he's not there..."

She trailed off, overcome with emotion, and put a hand to her lips, fighting to regain her composure enough to continue speaking.

Mimi glanced over at Rex to see how he was reacting to seeing his mother so shaken up, but he was looking down at his lap, his face turned away from her, so she couldn't see his expression. Lucas and Sami were both staring up at Kate with emotional faces, though, one looking like he was hating himself for not being able to relieve his mother's pain and the other seemingly touched by Kate's words more than she would have cared to admit.

"One of the things that I loved most about Roman was how much he loved his children," Kate murmured with a slight hitch to her voice as her gaze came to rest on Rex and Sami. "He was so proud of all of you, and he loved you so very much and I..." she swallowed, choking on a sob. "Bo was right, when he said that Roman lives in you. Because he's a part of you, just like you're a part of him, and that... that means that the man I love is still with us. He always... he always said that his children were the best... the best part of... I'm sorry, I... I'm sorry..."

Unable to hold back her sobs any longer, Kate stumbled away from the podium, doubling over, and Philip leapt to his feet, taking the steps up to the dais in two quick strides to be at her side. He gently wrapped an arm around her and guided her back down to her seat, exchanging a grim, grief-stricken look with his brother Lucas over their mother's head.

The rest of the church was in tears now, too, and Father Jansen appeared to need a moment before he could rise to his feet to continue with the ceremony. As he began to recite a reading from the Gospel, Mimi furiously wiped at her eyes with her tissues, but the tears wouldn't stop coming.

She glanced at Rex, needing to catch his eye, needing him to just hold her and let her hold him, but when she looked over at him, she found that something had already captured his attention.

Following his gaze, Mimi's heart wrenched when she noticed that Sami's left hand, the one not currently locked together with her son's hand in Lucas' lap, was trembling on the smooth surface of the wooden pew.

Rex licked his lips, hesitating a moment, then reached over and placed his hand on top of hers, carefully keeping his gaze trained forward.

To Mimi's relief, Sami didn't push his hand away. Instead, she allowed his fingers to lace with hers, curling them under to squeeze his hand tightly in hers. Like Rex, she kept her eyes solely on Father Jansen, neither of them able to look at each other, but that didn't detract from the importance of the gesture.

_I hope you're watching, Roman,_ Mimi thought, smiling through her tears.

Somehow, she got the feeling that he was.


	21. Chapter 21

**Matters of the Heart**

**Chapter Twenty-One:**

From the table in the back corner of the Penthouse Grille, she had a perfect view of the rest of the elegant restaurant and the other customers dining there that afternoon. She'd always liked this table for that very reason, because it allowed her to observe others without drawing attention to herself, but today she found herself wishing that her son had chosen a different table.

The restaurant was crowded, as it usually was during the lunch hour, with people in suits and pressed skirts, taking a break from the business day, but there seemed to be an unusual number of couples there today, all of them happy and smiling as they enjoyed one another's company.

She knew it wasn't fair, but she resented them for their happiness when hers had been so cruelly snatched away from her.

"Mom?" her son asked, a twinge of concern which seemed always present as of late in his voice. "Is everything okay?"

Forcing a smile, Kate Roberts nodded. "Yes, of course, dear," she assured him. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, because you've hardly touched your pasta primavera," Lucas commented with a frown, and she looked down at her plate to see that he was right, she'd barely taken more than a bite or two of her meal.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," she apologized. "I'm just not all that hungry, I suppose."

"You're never hungry lately," Lucas replied pointedly. "You need to eat."

Sighing, Kate picked up her fork and speared some of the pasta, stuffing it into her mouth and swallowing. "Happy?" she asked.

"I will be once you clean off your plate," Lucas responded firmly, then raised an eyebrow. "Do I have to bribe you with dessert the way I do with Will?"

Despite herself, Kate smiled. "No, that won't be necessary."

"Good."

Kate looked down at her plate and began to eat, even though she didn't feel all that hungry. Lucas was nothing if not stubborn, and she knew he'd keep pressing it if she didn't. She knew why he'd invited her out to lunch, he and Philip were worried that she was wallowing in her grief too much, and wanted to take her mind off of Roman for a little while.

While she appreciated their concern, she wanted to wallow. She wanted to surround herself with her pain and her tears, because at least that way she felt a part of Roman there with her. In the week since his funeral, she had locked herself away inside of the house, and if Philip hadn't been there to drag her out of bed and slap her clothes on every morning, she doubted she would have even got out of bed at all.

"Can I get you anything else, sir, ma'am?" their waiter asked, pausing at the end of their table as he made his way through his section.

"No, thank you," Lucas said, shaking his head.

"Actually, can I have another glass of wine?" Kate asked, holding up her empty glass.

"I think you've had enough," Lucas told her seriously, taking the glass from her and placing it back down on the table. Kate stared at him in surprise, but he ignored her for the moment, giving the waiter an apologetic smile. "We're fine, thanks."

"Very good, sir," the waiter replied, moving on to tend to his other tables.

"What was that?" Kate demanded once he was out of earshot.

"You've had three glasses already, Mom," Lucas pointed out. "And you've hardly eaten anything all day. You don't need any more wine."

"Lucas, I am your mother," Kate reminded him with a cool look. "I don't need you babying me, and I certainly don't need you embarrassing me like that."

"I wasn't trying to embarrass you," Lucas insisted.

"Then what were you trying to do?"

Lucas was silent for a long moment, his expression turning serious. "Philip tells me that you've been drinking," he observed, his brow furrowing in concern.

Kate scowled, her anger flaring, and glared at her middle son. "Philip needs to mind his own business," she snapped. "And so do you."

"You are our business, Mom," Lucas replied calmly. "And we're worried about you. What are you trying to do, drink yourself into oblivion?"

"Don't you lecture me about alcohol," Kate warned coldly. "I'm not the alcoholic in the family."

Lucas drew back as if she'd slapped him, and Kate instantly regretted her harsh words. She hadn't meant to say such a thing, she really hadn't, but he was pushing her and if he kept pushing her she was going to fall apart...

"You're right," Lucas said in a strange tone. "I'm the one with the drinking problem, Mom, which means you need to listen to me. I know what I'm talking about here, okay? Alcohol is not the answer, it's not going to make your pain go away, and it's not going to bring Roman back."

Kate swallowed hard at the mention of her dead fiancé, her throat burning with grief. She felt tears stinging her eyes, but she blinked them back furiously, unwilling to let them fall. "Nothing can bring Roman back," she informed her son shortly. "Which is precisely why I've been drinking in the first place. But you know what? I don't have a problem, and I'm not breaking any laws. What's so wrong with having a few drinks to help me get through the day, huh?"

"You'd be surprised at how quickly a few drinks can turn into something serious, Mom," Lucas responded somberly. "And you may not have a problem now, but keep this up, and you're bound to end up with one."

"I'm not going to end up an alcoholic, Lucas," Kate scowled. "I know what I'm doing, I don't need you to lecture me. Besides," she added icily. "I'm not the one acting like a fool."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Lucas demanded incredulously.

"Oh, please," Kate scoffed. "I know all about you playing house with Sami, Lucas, and it disgusts me. I thought you were smarter than that."

Lucas drew his lips into a thin, tight line. "Sami and I have a son together, Mom, remember that? Remember Will?"

"Of course I remember Will," Kate retorted. "But don't even try to convince me that you're doing this for him, because we both know that's not true. You've let your attraction to Sami cloud your judgment, and you're playing right into her clutches."

"The last thing on Sami's mind right now is me," Lucas assured her with a short laugh. "She just lost her father."

"Believe me," Kate said with a sneer. "That little tramp is just trying to-"

"Enough," Lucas growled sharply. "I'm sick of listening to you badmouth Sami, Mom. She's going through a really rough time right now, the same as you. I know you loved Roman, I know he was probably the love of your life, but he was also her father."

"I know that," Kate said irritably.

"And do you know how many times she and Eric and Carrie thought he was dead over the years?" Lucas asked sharply. "But it always turned out to be a mistake, a trick, and he always came back eventually. Only this time he's not going to come back, and Sami knows it. She's just trying to get through each day right now, Mom, and she's struggling to do it. I'm not going to let her deal with that alone."

"Then let her family handle it," Kate insisted. "Let her be their problem, instead of yours."

Lucas sighed, shaking his head in disappointment. "You just don't get it, do you? Sami isn't a problem to me, Mom, she's not a burden. I_ like_ spending time with her, I_ like_ being there to help her when she needs it. I _like_ taking care of her."

_This is my worst nightmare,_ Kate thought with absolute horror. There was no way she was going to let this happen, her promise to Roman be damned. He would understand, she knew he would, he was aware of what his precious little daughter was capable of. He would understand why she couldn't just stand by and watch Sami destroy her son.

"I want you to stay away from Sami," Kate ordered.

Lucas laughed, and she gritted her teeth at the amused smile on his face as he shook his head. "No," he replied.

"What?" Kate asked in disbelief.

"I said no," Lucas clarified evenly. "I'm not staying away from Sami, not now, not ever. I couldn't even if I tried, and frankly, I don't want to. In fact, I want to do the exact opposite."

"Oh, God," Kate moaned. "I am not hearing this."

"Turn up the hearing aide, then, Mom," Lucas said with a smirk. "Because there's nothing that you or anyone can do to keep me away from Sami."

"Have you forgotten everything that little bitch has done to you?" Kate hissed venomously. "How can you possibly forgive her?"

"Whether you admit it or not, what we did to Sami was a hundred times worse than anything she ever did to us," Lucas said lowly, his dark eyes grim and serious. "So the real question isn't how can I forgive her for what she's done to me, but how can she forgive me? And the truth is I don't know, but she has, and I'll be grateful for that for the rest of my life."

"Grateful?" Kate echoed loudly, and some of the other patrons glanced their way, so she lowered her voice, leaning across the table to hiss at her son. "Grateful? Are you out of your mind, Lucas?"

"I'm perfectly sane, thank you very much," Lucas said sternly. "And for once in your life, Mom, you are going to listen to what I want, and you're actually going to _hear_ it."

"And what is it that you want, Lucas?" Kate demanded sarcastically. "To be a happy little family with Sami and Will? Papa Bear, Mama Bear and Baby Bear?"

"What if it is?" Lucas challenged.

"Then you're not as smart as I thought you were."

"Ha ha, funny, Mom," Lucas said with a dry scowl. "Did it ever occur to you that maybe the reason I've been so angry with Sami for so long, the real reason, was that I was trying to cover up how hurt I was?"

"Of course you were hurt," Kate cried, latching onto that with the hope that she could remind him just why it was that they'd spent the past few years waging war against Sami Brady. "She lied to you about your son."

"Yeah, she did," Lucas conceded with a shrug. "But I could have forgiven her for that after I'd had a little bit of time to calm down. I should have forgiven her all those years ago, instead of letting my resentment drive me into some ridiculous quest for revenge. What I couldn't forgive her for was not even considering me. At every turn, she overlooked me and chose someone else, someone who didn't deserve her-"

"Oh, please," Kate spat with an incredulous laugh. "Are you actually trying to imply that _Sami _was too good for _Austin_?"

"Implying nothing," Lucas replied coolly. "Austin never deserved Sami. I knew it even way back when we were kids and I was trying to help her get him, and he constantly proved me right. He was always trying to change her, to turn her into something she's not, and it sickened me."

"And the way you're talking now sickens me," Kate said sharply. "You've obviously come unglued, Lucas, because I know you. You weren't in love with Sami back then, and you aren't in love with her now. You only think you are."

Lucas snorted, rolling his eyes. "Mom, you don't even know the first thing about me. You only think you do." Before she could comment on her own words twisted around on her, Lucas started to speak again. "And sorry to disappoint you, Mom, but I've been in love with Sami for a long, long time."

"Even when you were trying to kill her?" Kate couldn't resist sneering.

A dark look flickered through his eyes, and Lucas replied, in a voice that was too calm, "You mean when you were trying to kill her, don't you, Mom? I've never wanted Sami dead, I've made that perfectly clear to you, but you never did listen."

"Lucas, I am your mother-"

"I don't need you to remind me of that, thanks," Lucas said dryly. "But to answer your question, yes, I did love Sami back then. Why do you think I fought her as hard as I did, hmm? Why do you think I went out of my way to ruin all of her would-be weddings over the years?"

Kate opened her mouth, but words failed her. She really didn't have an answer for that, she'd always just chalked it up to him wanting to make Sami's life miserable, but she knew she couldn't convince herself of that anymore, much less Lucas.

"I tried to make my feelings for her go away, Mom," Lucas confessed with a sigh. "I really did, but nothing worked. Some part of me has always known that she was the woman I was supposed to end up with."

Kate shook her head in disgust, unable to believe what she was hearing. Had Lucas gone completely mad? Nothing good could ever come from him being with Sami. The only thing that little tramp was good for was destroying lives, and she'd jump at the chance to ruin Lucas after all these years.

Why couldn't her son see that?

"You don't know what you're saying," Kate argued shrilly. "You're not thinking straight, sweetheart. You're just doing this for Will. I know you want him to have a real family, baby, but you can find someone else to-"

"I don't want to find someone else," Lucas replied gruffly. "I want Sami. I always have, and I always will. I'm not just doing this for Will, although I will admit that his happiness means everything to me, the way you claim mine does to you."

"It does, baby, you know it does, but Sami won't make you happy," Kate insisted, desperate to make him see reason. "Being with her will make your life a living hell."

"No, me being with her will make_ your_ life a living hell," Lucas corrected reproachfully. "That's what this is all about, Mom, you and your hatred for Sami."

"Lucas-"

"I'm sorry for everything Sami's done to you in the past, I really am," Lucas told her gently. "Just like I'm sorry for everything you've done to her. I'm sorry that you hate her and that she hates you, because I love you both more than you'll ever know."

"You don't love her!" Kate cried, barely able to restrain herself from screaming it as loud as humanly possible. "You can't love her."

"I can't not love her, Mom," Lucas said shortly, then sighed, rubbing his forehead wearily. "Look, you're my mother, you raised me on your own and sacrificed so much to give me a better life, and I'd do just about anything to make you happy. But Sami... she's the person that knows me best in the whole world. She can read me like an open book, she knows my soul. And when she smiles at me, it's like everything is right in the universe, you know?"

What Kate knew was that her son had lost it, completely and totally. Why he was talking about Sami Brady the way that_ she_ used to talk about _Roman_! Whatever Sami had done to Lucas, it had clearly made him lose all common sense.

"I want to spend the rest of my life with her, Mom-"

Kate barely suppressed a scream, shaking her head empathetically, as if she could somehow shake the words out of her head and make it so she'd never heard them.

"And if she'll have me, I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure that happens," Lucas didn't seem to think her reaction was worth pausing his little speech. Instead, he reached over and placed a hand on hers, his gaze boring into her so intently that she couldn't help looking up at him. "So, please, Mom," he said softly, his voice thick with emotion. "I'm begging you... don't try to ruin my life, because that's what would happen if I lose her. I'm not going to let you make me choose, not anymore. I want to be with Sami, and if you try to get in the way of that, well..."

"Well what?" Kate asked scathingly, snatching her hand away. "You're going to disown me?"

A pained expression came over Lucas' face, and his dark eyes took on a sad look. "I hope it won't ever come to that," he murmured.

Parting her lips, Kate could only stare at him in disbelief. "You're serious...?"

"I love you, Mom," Lucas said quietly. "And I want you in my life, and in Will's life, but I'm going to be with Sami, and if you can't accept that, then we're going to have some serious problems."

Kate stared at him for a long moment in defiant silence, then groaned, closing her eyes. "You certainly know how to cheer up a grieving woman, don't you?" she asked at last, but without bite. In truth, she would have loved to argue with him all night and beat him over the head until he realized all of the thousands of reasons that a relationship with Sami Brady was suicide, but she was tired, and she didn't have the energy right now.

"I'd be more inclined to cheer you up if you weren't trying to depress me," Lucas retorted with a faint smirk. "And don't try to change the subject, Mom."

"Lucas, I am tired, my head hurts, and I'm just trying to cope with the fact that I've lost Roman forever," Kate sighed, rubbing her forehead wearily. "I've got enough to deal with right now, okay? So can we please just drop it and enjoy our dinner?"

"Fine," Lucas agreed, and she let out a breath of relief. "But this isn't over."

_No_, Kate thought to herself. _It most certainly is not. _

She was going to find a way to keep Lucas away from Sami if it killed her.


	22. Chapter 22

**Matters of the Heart**

**Chapter Twenty-Two:**

"Have I ever told you how much I hate hospitals?" Sami asked with a grimace as she climbed into the passenger seat of the car.

Lucas favored her with a smirk as he started the ignition. "I seem to recall you mentioning that once or twice, yeah."

"Well, it's true," Sami said, buckling her seat-belt. "That place gives me the creeps."

"Then how did you survive working there as long as you did?" Lucas inquired, looking over his shoulder as he backed out of the parking space.

"God only knows," Sami muttered.

Lucas chuckled, but didn't say anything, choosing instead to focus on driving, so Sami looked out the window of his car, watching as they pulled away from the hospital. In truth, she hadn't minded this visit to Salem Memorial nearly as much as past visits, because it had been her final check-up, and after removing the stitches from her stomach, Lexie had given her a clean bill of health.

_Let's just hope that I don't have to set foot in that hospital again for a long, long time,_ she thought with a sigh. There were too many bad memories in that place, memories of past accidents and traumas, of heartaches that still lingered over their heads. Abe, Jack and Maggie had all died in the hospital after being attacked by the killer, surrounded by their loved ones.

Her father had died alone in a cold, deserted parking lot in the rain.

Shaking her head, she reminded herself that she wasn't going to think about such things today. Today was a day for celebrating, as Lucas had informed her over breakfast with Will at the apartment. She was having her stitches removed, and she'd made a full recovery from the injuries she'd sustained at the hands of the serial killer, at least the physical ones.

That, according to Lucas, was worth celebrating, and after all he'd done for her over the past few weeks, Sami was willing to humor him.

"What are you thinking about?" Lucas asked, glancing over at her.

Sami turned to face him with a faint smile. "You," she confessed, and was amused by the look of pleasant surprise that crossed his face. "And how wonderful you've been lately."

"I've always been wonderful, baby," Lucas replied with a cocky smirk. "You just refused to admit it."

"Because I didn't want your ego getting any bigger," Sami retorted. "It's already so big there ought to be an advisory warning."

"Ah, back to insulting me already, Sami?" Lucas chuckled. "And to think only a few seconds ago you called me wonderful."

Despite the sarcastic remark that was on the tip of her tongue, Sami decided to be honest about what she was feeling for once. Lucas really had been wonderful, he'd taken such good care of her after her accident, worked so hard to cheer her up since her father's death, and he'd been understanding when she just needed him to hold her while she cried.

"You have your moments," she told him softly. "And I really do appreciate you being here, Lucas, not just for me, but for Will, too. This hasn't exactly been an easy month for him, either."

"I'm always going to be there for you guys, Sami," Lucas replied seriously. "You two are my family."

"Thank God we're not step-family, though, right?" Sami said with a weak smile, trying not to think about the cruel twist of fate that had prevented Kate from becoming her stepmother. "Poor Will might have been traumatized."

"It certainly would have complicated his plans to try and get us together," Lucas agreed.

A faint blush touched Sami's cheeks, and she looked out the window again so that he wouldn't notice. It was true, their son had been campaigning for them to 'hook up' as he put it for some time now, and she couldn't help wondering if he'd always been trying to dream up way to accomplish that, even when he was younger. She wouldn't put it past him, Will was as sneaky as they came, and all too skilled at that innocent little pout that used to get him whatever he wanted at the toy store.

She couldn't blame him for wanting his parents together, what kid didn't? Even she had wanted her parents to get back together, but faced with her father's death, she could admit, to herself at least, that her selfishness was more about keeping both of her parents alive and keeping Kate away from her father.

Besides, some part of her had always known that it would never happen. Her mother loved John, it was the kind of love that you read about in story-books, and back when she had believed him to be her father, she'd loved to hear stories from John about the romantic adventures they'd had.

But Will was determined that she and Lucas belonged together, and in her heart of hearts, Sami wasn't so sure he was wrong.

"Where are we going anyway?" she asked aloud, her curiosity finally getting the best of her. It hadn't escaped her notice that they weren't heading in the direction of Guilford Street, but she'd figured that he was hungry and taking her to lunch or something.

"You're not big on patience, are you, Sami?"

"Never have been, General," Sami retorted. "You know that."

"Don't remind me," Lucas said with a dramatic groan. "That lack of patience has gotten me into plenty of trouble over the years, and caused me even more."

"Very funny," Sami snorted, not falling for his attempt to distract her from her query. "Answer the question, Lucas."

Sighing, Lucas took one hand off the wheel to run it through his hair. "Can't you ever just let a guy surprise you, Sami?"

"I hate surprises," Sami reminded him lightly. "Which you know perfectly well, and that never seems to stop you from trying to throw them my way."

"Can I help it if you're cute when you're surprised?" Lucas asked with his most charming smile.

"Ah, trying to avoid the question with flattery," Sami said, nodding slowly and trying not to smile back at him. "Now I know where Will gets it. Come on, out with it, tell me where we're going."

"Sorry, sweetheart, no can do," Lucas replied, shaking his head. "Just sit tight, we'll be there soon."

"Fine," Sami sighed heavily, letting her lower lip curl into a small pout. "Be that way."

A few minutes later they pulled up at the park, and Sami was about to ask why he'd brought her there of all places when she spotted Will and his cousin Abby jogging towards their car. In the distance, she could make out Jennifer Horton sitting on a blanket sprawled out on the grass, and Lucas' sister raised a hand to wave at them as they climbed out of the car.

"Mom," Will cried excitedly, throwing his arms around her waist to hug her. "How did the appointment go?"

"It was fine, honey," Sami assured her with a smile. "The stitches are out and Lexie says I'm fully healed."

"That's great," Will declared happily. "Isn't it, Abby?"

"It sure is," the girl agreed with a bright smile, and Sami felt a tug of sadness, recognizing Jack's smile in his daughter. "Hi, Uncle Lucas."

"Hi, sweetie," Lucas replied, bending to give his niece a hug. "You look very pretty today."

"Thanks," Abby said with a blush.

Will rolled his eyes, muttering something about 'girls' under his breath, but he had the common sense not to say it loud enough for them to hear. Instead, he nodded back towards where Jenn was sitting and said, "Let's eat, guys, I'm starving."

"Will, we're not 'guys'," Sami reminded him. "We're-"

"My parents, I know," Will said with a groan, starting towards the blanket with Abby. "Sorry."

Lucas chuckled, shaking his head as they followed the kids, and Sami looked over at him expectantly. "What's going on?" she asked. "We're having a picnic?"

"I thought a nice picnic might do us all good," Lucas confirmed with a shrug. "Jenn's been having a rough week dealing with the fact that her baby will never know Jack, and Will and Abby are joined at the hip, so I invited them to join us. You don't mind, do you? I mean, I know Jenn's not your favorite person..."

"No, she's not," Sami sighed. "But she's Will's aunt and your sister, not to mention Jack's widow, so I guess I should try to get along with her, huh?"

"I'd appreciate that, Sami," Lucas said, giving her hand a squeeze.

"There you two are," Jenn said, flashing them a smile as they reached the blanket. "The kids were starting to try and convince me that we should eat without you."

"Us?" Will asked with mock offense.

"We'd never do that," Abby added innocently.

"Sure," Lucas snorted, kissing Jenn on the cheek as he dropped down beside her. "Hi, Sis."

"Hi," Jenn replied, then gave Sami a hesitant smile. "How are you feeling, Sami?"

"Better, thanks," Sami responded with a weak smile of her own. "How about you?"

Jenn's hand went to her stomach, and her smile became bittersweet. "The baby's doing good, and so am I."

"I'm glad to hear it," Sami murmured, and she was. Pregnancy was hard enough to get through without having to worry about the baby's health, and despite their less-than-friendly relationship, she admired Jenn for her determination to carry the baby to term despite the risks.

"Okay," Lucas said, rubbing his hands together eagerly. "Let's see what we have for lunch, hmm?"

Half an hour later, after everyone had finished eating, Will and Abby managed to drag Lucas to his feet to join them in a game of frisbee. From her spot on the blanket, Sami smiled to herself as she watched him snatch the blue disc out of the air over Will's head, prompting the kids to laughingly protest that he had an unfair advantage because he was taller than them.

"He's good with them," Jenn observed, likewise watching the game with a smile. "He's a good father."

"Yeah," Sami agreed softly. "He is."

"You know, a few years ago I think hell would have frozen over if you'd admitted that," Jenn said evenly.

Sami stiffened, bristling at the comment, but she swallowed back the nasty retort on the tip of her tongue, realizing that Jenn was baiting her. "It probably would have," she agreed.

The corner of Jenn's mouth tugged upward. "Why the change of heart, then? What made you finally see that my brother's a good father?"

"I've always known he was a good father," Sami replied irritably. "But there were circumstances that made me feel Will was safer away from him."

"His drinking, you mean," Jenn concluded with a nod.

"Not to mention his mother," Sami muttered under her breath. She still couldn't believe that the woman had shown up at her apartment the day before, threatening to expose the tape Lucas had made at her not-wedding to Austin where she confessed to perjury if she didn't stay away from her son, waving it around for good measure.

It was a good thing that Kate hadn't realized Lucas was in Will's room helping their son with his homework, because when he came out furious after overhearing he'd caught her by surprise and managed to snatch the tape right out of Kate's hand and break it in half.

The look on Kate's face had been priceless, part-shock, part fury, but as much as she'd wanted to savor the moment of triumph, Sami hadn't been able to focus on the victory over Kate. It had taken all of her self-control not to melt into a puddle at Lucas' feet as she angrily told his mother off before kicking Kate out of the apartment.

_I really ought to talk to Uncle Bo about Kate's trespassing problem, _Sami thought with a smirk. The woman was all too comfortable barging into her apartment without permission, and frankly she was getting tired of it.

"I'm glad that the two of you are getting along better now," Jenn said seriously. "All that fighting wasn't good for anyone, especially not Will. And he's so happy when he gets to spend time with both of you as a family. That's important for a kid his age, feeling secure at home."

"I know," Sami said quietly. "I never had that."

And it was true, she hadn't, because her mother had 'died' in a plane crash when she was still very young, and by the time Marlena had come back, Sami had been on the verge of her pre-teen years and looking forward to having Isabella be her new 'Mom' once she and John married. That had been confusing enough, but then her real father had shown up and she and Eric had been taken away from John, then shipped off to Colorado, effectively severing all contact between them and John for the next few years. When she'd returned to Salem, she'd been happy for a while, but then the affair had torn her family apart all over again.

Not once from the day that she'd learned John wasn't her father, had she ever felt like she had a secure and stable family.

She wanted things to be different for Will.

"I'm so sorry about your father's death, Sami," Jenn said with sincere sympathy. "I know how hard it is to loose someone that you love."

Sami forced a weak smile, feeling her eyes sting with tears. "Thank you," she replied. "And I'm sorry about Jack. I should have told you that from the beginning, instead of saying some of the things I did last fall..."

"It's okay," Jenn assured her. "I know we haven't gotten along in the past, and I'm sure I've said some pretty nasty things to you, too, over the years. Besides, Jack really liked you, he considered you a real friend, you know? I think he'd want me to forgive and forget."

"Jack was a really special person," Sami told her with a trembling smile, blinking back her tears. "He was one of the few people who thought there was something worth knowing in me."

"Since we're doing the apology thing," Jenn cleared her throat awkwardly. "I, uh, never did really say I was sorry for the way I treated you back when you and Jack were joined at the hip. I guess I was just jealous that you guys were so close and all."

"I did kind of flaunt it in your face," Sami pointed out. "So it was my fault, too."

Jenn gave her a small smile. "I do think you're growing up, Sami Brady," she commented gently. "Your father would be proud."

"I hope so," Sami sighed, leaning back to prop herself up on her elbows. "And I'm not so sure about the growing up part. It's more that I'm just too tired to fight anymore. Too many people we love are being taken from us, and I just don't have the energy to stay angry for long."

"Have you talked to Eric or Carrie recently?" Jenn inquired, likewise making herself more comfortable on the blanket. "I was a bit surprised that neither of them came home for the funeral."

"They're busy," Sami muttered, with just a hint of bitterness. "But I've spoken to Eric practically every day since Dad died, we've just needed to hear each other's voices, I guess, and Carrie called long-distance from Israel the day of the funeral, so I got to spend an hour talking to her after the service."

"Mike says she's taking it pretty hard," Jenn said quietly.

"Yeah," Sami nodded. "She is." She chuckled to herself, shaking her head in amazement. "Carrie and I haven't had the best of relationships, and even though we made a truce before she and Mike eloped to Israel, things have still been kind of uneasy between us since then, but now that Daddy's gone... I just want her to come home."

"That's only natural," Jenn responded. "She's your big sister. After Jack and Aunt Maggie both... I miss Mike more than ever, but part of me is glad he's not in the country, because it means that he's safe from this monster who's terrorizing our families."

"It does seem like the killer is targeting the Brady and Horton families, doesn't it?" Sami mused with a shiver.

"Maybe it really is Tony, then," Jenn theorized grimly. "It sounds like something Stefano would have dreamed up."

"Maybe," Sami conceded, hoping it wasn't Tony, for Rex's sake if nothing else. Even though Rex had cut off all ties with Tony, it would still devastate him to learn the man he'd considered his father was the one who had killed his twin sister.

_When did I start to worry about Rex's feelings?_ she asked herself with a groan, but she couldn't deny that she did. At her father's funeral, she had looked up at Rex and seen, for the first time, the faint resemblance he bore to Eric, and it had really hit her that this man was her brother. He was a part of Roman, just like she was, and even if he was part of Kate, too, she could overlook that.

After all, Lucas was Kate's son, too, and she still liked him, still loved-

Sami drew away from that frightening thought, not yet ready to go there, but when her gaze fell on Lucas as Will and Abby tackled him to the ground, her heart swelled, and she couldn't hide from it.

She was in love with Lucas Roberts.

_Oh, God,_ she thought with a groan._ Kate is just going to love this. _

"You love him, don't you?"

Sami started, turning to look at Jenn incredulously. "What!"

Jenn's lips curved up into a soft, but knowing smile. "I see the way you look at him, Sami. You're in love with my little brother."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Sami insisted.

"Uh huh, sure you don't," Jenn replied. "So I guess it doesn't matter that I've seen the way he looks at you, too, right?"

Blinking, Sami started to open her mouth to ask what she meant by that, but just then Lucas trotted over to them and dropped down onto the blanket with a sigh. "Your turn, Sis," he told Jenn. "Those two are animals."

"Wore you out already, did they?" Jenn laughed, rising to her feet. "You're turning into a bit of a wuss, Lucas."

"I'd like to see you do better," Lucas snorted.

"Watch and learn, little brother," Jenn said with a wink, walking towards the kids and calling for the frisbee. Since she was pregnant, the game wouldn't be physical like it was with Lucas, but they could still have fun tossing the disc around.

"What were you and Jenn talking about?" Lucas asked, stretching out on the blanket and closing his eyes, his hair falling across his face in a manner that was undeniably fetching. "Me?"

"More like your giant ego," Sami snorted, not seeing any reason he needed to know that they had, in fact, been discussing him for the past few minutes. "We were talking about Jack."

"It's sad," Lucas murmured, his mood immediately sombered at the mention of his brother-in-law. "For the most part, Jenn acts like she's doing okay, but there are times when I catch her looking off into space and I know she's thinking about him. Missing him, and hurting because of it. I wish there was something I could do for her and Abby."

"I think you're doing more for them than you know," Sami told him softly. "They've lost people that were such important parts of their lives, and with the killer still out there on the loose, it's a scary time to live in Salem, but you make it easier for them just by being there, by making them smile and helping them take their minds off their grief..." She swallowed hard, aware that she wasn't just talking about Jenn and Abby anymore. "By just showing them that you care."

Lucas' eyes fluttered open and he turned his head slightly to look at her. "Sometimes it doesn't feel like that's enough."

"It's more than enough," she assured him. He raised an eyebrow, and she blushed, quickly averting her eyes. "This was a great idea, to have a picnic out here in the park."

"Yeah," Lucas agreed with a nod, lifting himself up onto his elbows. "It's been an unseasonably warm weekend, so I thought we should take advantage of that. And I think we all needed an afternoon off, especially you and Jenn."

"Is that why you did all this?" Sami asked, sitting up right. "For me?"

"And for Jenn," Lucas reminded her, following suit. "But yeah, I wanted to do something nice to cheer you up."

"Why?" she asked breathlessly, her heart feeling like it was in suspension.

"Don't you know how much I care about you?" Lucas replied in a low voice, his dark eyes searching hers.

Unbidden, those words brought to mind a memory of a night years ago, when he'd spoken those exact words to her, looking at her with the same depth of emotion in his eyes.

The night they'd conceived Will.

Feeling a sudden rush of tenderness for the man beside her, she leaned over and kissed him, just the faintest brush of her lips against his. The temptation to deepen the kiss, the lose herself in him, was strong, but she managed to keep it short and sweet, and when she pulled back the expression on Lucas' face told her that his stomach was probably just as knotted as hers was.

"Thank you, Lucas," she whispered.

He smiled at her, dark eyes gentle and warm. "I just want to make you happy, Sami," he told her.

"You do," Sami assured him with a shy smile.

"Sami," Lucas began huskily, licking his lips. "I-"

"Hey, Mom!" Will called, and they both started, turning to look at their son. "Come play, Mom! Dad's too tall, and we need a fourth."

Sami glanced at Lucas, who shrugged. "You don't want to disappoint the kid, do you?" he said with a wink.

"No, I don't," Sami agreed, rising to her feet. As she headed over to join Jenn, Abby and Will, she glanced back at Lucas to find him watching her with a smile on his face.

"Hmm," Jenn's voice met her ears, and she turned to see Lucas' sister giving her a pointed look. "Maybe you don't need me to point out how he looks at you, after all."

Despite herself, Sami smiled. "Maybe not," she agreed to herself. "Maybe not."


	23. Chapter 23

**Matters of the Heart**

**Chapter Twenty-Three:**

Sighing, Lucas Roberts tugged at the tie around his neck, loosening it as he glanced up at the mirrored-ceiling of the elevator, taking in his tired appearance.

It had been a long morning at work, and the news that Tony DiMera had been found murdered in his home had left him thoroughly unsettled. The police were still combing the mansion looking for evidence, but it was clear that it had been the work of the serial killer.

His first instinct upon hearing the news from some of the gossiping nurses at the hospital, had been to call Sami. He didn't know why, maybe he'd been worried that news that the killer had struck again would cause her grief over her father's death to resurface, or maybe he'd just needed to hear her voice for a while, to reassure himself that she was safe.

They'd talked for about fifteen minutes before Sami's call-waiting had kicked in, and she'd apologized, saying she needed to answer it because the CallerID showed that it was Eric calling from Colorado. While Lucas had very little tolerance for Eric Brady, he knew that he would have to try to get along with Sami's twin brother if things were ever going to work out between him and Sami.

Family was very important to her, despite the hypocritical manner in which the Brady clan tended to treat her sometimes.

Glancing down at his watch, Lucas wondered if he should have stopped and picked up some food on the way back to the apartment building. He'd been coming home for lunch to spend time with Sami all week, not wanting her to be alone for too long, and he'd noticed yesterday that they were running low on groceries, but neither of them had gone to the store yet.

_Add that to the list of things to take care of after work tonight, _Lucas thought with a groan. Getting things running smoothly again with the Horton Foundation was exhausting, and he was beginning to remember the down side to his old job. Despite the hours and the mountain of paperwork on his desk every morning, he genuinely enjoyed the job for the most part, although the location left something to be desired.

Having an office at Salem Memorial was nowhere near as fun as it had been when Sami was still working there.

_No wonder I liked the job so much back then,_ Lucas thought with a weary chuckle. _Not only did I get to see Sami every day, I got to boss her around, too. _

The elevator chimed, slowing to a halt as it reached his floor, and the heavy doors slid open. Picking his briefcase up off the floor, Lucas stepped out into the hallways, giving a polite nod to the thirty-something couple that lived at the end of the hall as they got onto the elevator, then headed for Sami's door.

As he fumbled with his key, he heard music wafting out from under the door, and tried the knob to find that it was unlocked.

Inside, he found Sami sitting on the couch, the radio playing in the background as she thumbed through what looked to be a photo album, with a stack of albums waiting to be picked up on the coffee table in front of her.

"Sami?" he called, closing the door behind him and setting his briefcase down in the chair as he moved further into the living room.

"Hi," she replied, lifting her head to give him a warm smile. "How was your day so far?"

"Long," Lucas answered with a grimace. "I'd forgotten how hectic things can get there during the day."

"Mmm-hmm," Sami murmured in agreement, returning her attention to what she was doing as she skimmed the album, selecting a picture and pulling it out to place it with a small cluster of other photos laying loose on the couch beside her.

Lucas watched her in silence for a long moment, admiring how she scrunched up her nose as she inspected the next page of the album and the cute little way she bit her lip while contemplating the pictures there, before he finally had to know what was going on. "What are you up to?" he asked casually.

"Making a scrapbook," Sami replied without looking up from her work.

"Okay," Lucas said slowly, his brow furrowing in confusion. "Uh, can I ask why?"

"It's for Rex," Sami answered, looking down self-consciously, her cheeks flushing a bit in obvious embarrassment. "I'm putting pictures of Daddy in it, of Carrie, Eric and I, too, along with some of Aunt Kim, Aunt Kayla, Uncle Bo, Grandpa and Grandma and my cousins." She bit her lip, shyly tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she raised her gaze to meet his. "I wanted to do something nice for him, since I'm sure Tony's death has upset him, and I thought that this might be a nice way to let him see where it is he comes from."

"That's nice of you," Lucas told her softly, feeling a swell of love for her. This was the side of Sami that he'd always known existed underneath the rough exterior, the side that it seemed she never really showed anyone but him and Will. "Really nice. I'm sure that Rex will appreciate it."

"Yeah, well," Sami said, averting her eyes sheepishly. "It's what my Dad would want."

Sensing that she was disconcerted at being caught doing something so sisterly for Rex, Lucas cleared his throat, willing to change the subject so that neither of them would be uncomfortable. He wasn't a big fan of Rex, whether the kid went by DiMera or Brady, and he wasn't sure he ever would be, but he was grateful to his half-brother for donating blood for Sami after her attack, and he'd seen the way that Rex had been there for her at Roman's funeral, so he wasn't opposed to giving the guy a chance.

He was about to ask her how Eric was doing out in Colorado, even though he didn't really care, when he caught sight of lone photograph sitting on edge of the coffee table, separate from the rest of the ones that had been removed from the photo albums.

"What's this?" he asked, reaching for the photograph. Sami tried to grab it before he did, but he managed to pick it up first, and she looked away as he stared down at the picture in his hand. "Sami..."

He couldn't believe what he was seeing, and he even blinked a few times in case he was imaging things in his exhausted state, but sure enough, he was holding a picture of a younger John Black with giving a little Sami a piggyback ride while Eric was tackling him around the legs. All three were smiling, and Lucas couldn't help noticing the way Sami's blue eyes sparkled, and her arms were wrapped loosely around John's neck, because she trusted him not to let her fall.

It was a happier time, a blissful moment forever preserved on film, and Lucas felt a heaviness settle in his chest, wishing he could undo the trauma of her childhood, but knowing that nothing could take back the scars she'd been inflicted with.

Maybe someday, though, Sami and John would hash things out, get all of that pain and anger out in the open, and they could both start to heal from the wounds that had been inflicted all those years ago.

"Planning on cutting this to pieces?" he asked, trying to keep his tone even and nonjudgmental. He knew that she needed to resolve his issues with John if she was ever going to live a happy, healthy life, but he didn't want to push an argument tonight. She was still recovering from her father's death, and frankly he was too tired to fight with her after the long day he'd had.

"Actually, I was going to frame it," Sami said softly, staring at her shoes with sudden fascination.

Of all the things he'd expected to come out of her mouth, that certainly hadn't been one of them.

"Frame it?" Lucas echoed in disbelief.

"Belle gave me that," Sami told him quietly, keeping her gaze lowered to the floor. "While I was in the hospital. She was trying to get me to make peace with John, going on about how if I could forgive you and get past everything we'd done to each other, then I should be able to do the same with John."

Lucas winced, aware of the fact that one of these days he and Sami were going to have to hash out their issues, too, but he wasn't looking forward to that conversation. There were things that Sami had done to him, like claiming that he hit his son, that he'd thought he could never forgive her for, and there was a trace of bitterness that still echoed around inside of him at times, so he knew it was the same way for Sami.

"I told her she was wasting her time," Sami continued, his uneasiness going unnoticed as she fidgeted with the bracelet on her wrist, a birthday present that he had helped Will pick out last fall and that she seemed to wear more often any other piece of jewelry she owned. "But as I was going through these photographs today, I realized something."

"What's that?" Lucas asked curiously.

"John is a better father to her and Brady than Daddy ever was to me and Eric," Sami pronounced in a soft, desolate whisper.

"Sami, honey," Lucas began gently, placing the picture down on the coffee table and lowering himself onto the couch next to her. "You know that Roman loved you."

"I know he did," Sami agreed with a faint nod. "But not unconditionally."

Frowning, Lucas placed a hand on her back, unconsciously rubbing in a soothing motion. "What are you talking about, baby?"

"I chose Daddy," Sami said hoarsely, her blue eyes shimmering with tears. "I chose Daddy over John, even though I loved him, because Daddy was my real father, and blood is supposed to stick with blood, he's the one who always told me that."

Not knowing what to say, and not sure what he could say that wouldn't set her off in such a vulnerable state, Lucas simply stroked her hair as it fell over her shoulders, his chest tight as he watched the woman he loved slowly start to come undone.

"But Daddy didn't choose me," Sami cried, tears sliding down her cheeks. "He never chose me, I never came first to him. He always chose Carrie over me, and I never held it against him, but he chose Kate over me. He chose the woman who tried to kill me over his own daughter."

The reminder of just how far his mother had taken her quest for revenge against Sami, a quest which she had manipulated him into helping by using Will's custody as a prize, Lucas wrapped his arms around Sami, letting her bury her face in his shoulder. "Shhh," he soothed, swallowing past the lump in his throat. "It'll be okay, Sami, baby."

"How?" Sami demanded hoarsely, pulling out of his arms. "How is it going to be okay, Lucas? My Dad is dead, and all I can think about is all the times he let me down, all the times he wasn't there for me when I needed him to be."

"Sami-"

"I can forgive him for being gone for most of my childhood," Sami rattled on shakily, teetering on the edge of an emotional breakdown. "Because I know that was Stefano's doing and I didn't even know that John wasn't my real father, but even after he came back he was never really there. He shipped Eric and I off to Colorado not long after, and to this day I don't really understand his reasoning for that. Was it because we still wanted John to be our father? Was it because we weren't perfect like Carrie?" She looked at Lucas pleadingly, her eyes desperate, as if he would have the answers. "Were we just in the way?"

Lucas swallowed hard, his throat hurting. "No, Sami, no," he protested softly, hating that she could even think that. "It wasn't you, it wasn't your fault. You didn't do anything wrong, sweetheart."

"Then why didn't anybody ever want me?" Sami asked dejectedly, a weak sob cracking through her words. "Why did they always go away? Why am I not ever enough for them to want to stay?"

"It's not because of you, baby," Lucas promised her lowly, feeling tears start to sting in his own eyes as his heart wrenched for her. "It was never because of you."

"I needed Daddy, I was raped, but he left without even looking back," Sami cried deliriously, pulling her legs up to her chest. "He wasn't here when I needed him to believe in me when I was being publicly humiliated and ridiculed because of it or when I needed him to hold my hand at the trial. He wasn't even here when I got pregnant and ran off to Seattle, or when Will was born... I wasn't important enough for him to be bothered."

"That was Roman's fault, not yours," Lucas insisted in a soothing tone, reaching out to touch her hair gently. "He's the one who screwed up, Sami."

"He brought me back to Death Row," Sami sobbed, equal parts grief-stricken and angry. "Will and I would have made it to Canada, and I would have been free, but he stopped me. He took me back to that cell and to that damn execution chamber! If he really believed I was innocent the way he claimed to, why did he bring me back to die?"

_Why did I let you go to jail for a crime I committed? _Lucas wondered to himself morosely, but he didn't voice that private shame aloud. This was not the time to upset Sami even further, and reminding her that he had played a part in that nightmare would only push her over the edge.

Instead, he settled for whispering, "I don't know," as he drew her closer to him, wrapping his arms around and pulling her against his chest. He needed to be near her right then, not just for her sake, but for his own, as well. His heart was already spiraling back to that horrible memory of bursting into the execution chamber only to be told it was too late, to see her strapped down and her pale, lifeless face bearing a peaceful, empty expression.

No matter how many years passed, he knew he would never be able to forget that terrifying moment.

For a long time they just sat there like that, Sami crying into his shirt, her slender shoulders shaking with sobs, and he simply held her, stroking her hair in silence. To be honest, he was relieved that she had finally fallen apart, because although she'd been a mess at the funeral, Sami had been keeping everything bottled up ever since, and he knew that wasn't healthy.

After a few minutes, Sami lifted her tearstained face, wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand as she sniffled.

"Feel better?" Lucas asked softly.

Sami shrugged her shoulders miserably. "Is it wrong of me to resent him?" she whispered fragilely. "I mean, he's dead and I'll never see him again, I miss him so much, but I can't help feeling angry with him." She paused, looking down in disgrace, her blue eyes shimmering. What's wrong with me?"

"Nothing," Lucas promised vehemently, shaking his head as he continued to stroke her hair.

"Nothing is wrong with you, baby. It's okay to be mad at him, it is." He lifted her chin with his thumb so that he could look her in the eye. "You're right, he wasn't a perfect father, not by a long shot. He made a lot of mistakes."

"Like proposing to your mother?" Sami muttered in disgust, then gave him an apologetic look and mumbled, "Sorry."

"It's okay," Lucas assured her with a weak smile. "She doesn't speak highly of you, either."

Sami gave a short, bitter laugh at that, shaking her head. "If it was just you, I wouldn't be so mad about it, but she's badmouthed me in front of Will, too, and it was a regular event with her and Dad. Can you imagine ever standing by and letting someone treat Will that way, much less someone that you're romantically involved with?"

"No, never," Lucas replied honestly, but he stopped short of telling her that the only person he ever imagined himself romantically involved with these days would never do that, because it was her. "And I really am sorry you had to go through that, Sami. I'm sorry my Mom won't back off, and I'm sorry that Roman didn't support you the way he should have."

"I know he loved me," Sami murmured, wringing her hands in her lap. "But the thing is his love always came with conditions. When I was behaving, he was in my corner, but as soon as I didn't meet his expectations, he snubbed me just like the rest of this town. When you said he wasn't a perfect father, that's just the thing, he wasn't much of a father at all most of the time, because he was never here, and when he was, he constantly let me down."

Lucas nodded sympathetically, continuing to stroke her hair since he'd noticed that it seemed to be having a calming affect on her as she tried to regain her composure.

"And you know what?" Sami said at last, tilting her head thoughtfully as a look of grim realization set in across her face. "I think part of the reason I've idolized him all these years, put him up on a pedestal the way I have, is because I felt obligated to, because deep down I still wished that John had been my father instead."

Stunned by her omission, it took Lucas a moment to recover enough to form a response. "Maybe that's why you feel like you have to hate John, too, because you feel guilty for loving him."

"I don't love him," Sami argued, but it was halfhearted.

"Sami," Lucas began gently, but she shook her head.

"He ruined my life," Sami insisted. "And he tore my family apart. Since then he's done nothing except make my life miserable."

While Lucas knew that wasn't true, he also knew that John hadn't exactly treated Sami with tender love and care as of late, and even though he could understand the older man's reasoning for doing so, he still disliked him for hurting Sami, intentional or not.

Still, he couldn't let this opportunity pass. "John loves you, Sami, and I think deep down a part of you knows that, whether you can accept it or not," he informed her evenly. "He's the man that raised you, who taught you how to tie your shoes and ride a bike."

"He's also the man who abandoned me," Sami snapped, and then narrowed her eyes sharply when she realized what she'd just said, and the implications of it.

Sensing that she was about to sink further into an anti-John tirade, Lucas caught her gaze and held it pointedly until she sighed, closing her mouth. "It's okay to love someone even if they've hurt you so bad that it makes you die inside," he told her softly. "It's okay to want to forgive them and have them back in your life."

"How can I forgive him after everything he's done to me?" Sami cried hoarsely.

Lucas was silent for a long moment, his hand stilling against her hair, and a heavy feeling settled in his stomach. "I had a best friend once," he said quietly, his voice low and husky as his throat went dry. "Who hurt me more than anyone ever has. She lied to me, she tried to take my son away from me time and time again, even going as far as to claim that I hit him-"

Sami winced, averting her eyes, and for a second Lucas found himself tempted to back off of such a potentially explosive subject, but he surged forward, needing to say this as much as she needed to hear it.

"And I didn't see how I could ever forgive a thing like that," Lucas said somberly, his heart aching at the memory of how outraged, how betrayed, he had been when he first learned about the ludicrous charges against him, and how completely it had broken his heart to know that it was Sami of all people who had filed them. "But I still cared about her, more than she could ever know, so I forgave her."

"I'm sorry," she whispered pitifully, her blue eyes swimming with tears.

"I know you are," Lucas replied in a thick voice, blinking back tears of his own. "And I'm sorry for all the things I've done to you, too. You know that, right?"

Sami nodded, swallowing hard.

"Good," Lucas said, giving her a weak smile as he resumed stroking her hair, with a faint tremble to his fingers.

Sami sighed, her eyes fluttering closed, and she rested her head against his shoulder, clearly drained from her emotional outburst. A long time ago, back when they'd still been fighting over custody, he had told her that he could see her in Will sometimes, in the way he smiled, in the way he talked, but what he'd never been able to bring himself to tell her that when he saw her most clearly was while their son was sleeping.

There was just something about the peaceful innocence on his face while he slept that reminded him entirely of her. While most people would never use the word 'innocent' in the same sentence as 'Sami', Lucas knew that underneath all of that attitude and jagged edges, she was really still just a lonely little girl who wanted to be loved.

And he was just a boy who wanted to love her.

Glancing at the clock atop her television, Lucas stifled a groan, knowing he needed to get back to work soon. He'd have to just grab a bite to eat on the way back to the hospital.

Looking down at Sami, he sighed, not in any hurry to leave her, but somehow he managed to get himself to his feet, carefully wriggling out from under her and then laying her down gently on the couch without waking her up.

Lucas grabbed the blanket folded across the back of the couch and draped it over her, bending down to kiss her hair before straightening and smoothing out his suit. "Sleep well, Sami," he whispered before making his way over to the chair where he'd left his briefcase.

He was about to start for the door when he thought of something and turned back to grab a pad of paper off of the kitchen counter, using the pen in his pocket to scribble a quick note for her when she woke up telling her that he would pick up Will from football practice on his way home from work, and that they'd grab a pizza on the way home for dinner.

Pausing at the door, he gave Sami one last longing look, a faint smile touching his lips as she sighed in her sleep, snuggling closer into the throw pillow.

Even though Sami was done recovering from her attack, neither of them had mentioned the fact that she no longer needed him around to take care of her, which was perfectly fine with Lucas, because if he had his way, the two of them would be taking care of each other well into old age.

And maybe it was just his imagination, but lately he was actually starting to believe that one of these days that wish might just come true, after all.


	24. Chapter 24

**Matters of the Heart**

**Chapter Twenty-Four:**

"What's going on?"

Will Roberts fixed his aunt with a stubborn look from the back-seat of her car, leaning forward against his seat-belt to rest his arms on the back of the driver's seat.

He had been surprised when, fifteen minutes before school let out, he was called to the office. When he'd gotten there, he'd found his cousin Abby had been called in, too, and Abby's mother was there to pick them up. He had held off on questioning her until they left the school, but now that they were in the car and pulling out of the parking lot, he was determined to find out what had provoked her to come and get them.

"What makes you ask that, Will, honey?" Jennifer Deveraux replied, glancing at him in the rearview mirror.

"You picked us up from school, Mom," Abby pointed out, turning to look over at her mother from the front passenger seat. "We always ride the bus home."

"Is something wrong?" Will asked anxiously, his stomach turning over with dread. His family had already lost too many people, and Tony DiMera, his father's former boss, had been killed only a few days ago, so it was clear that the serial killer was still on the prowl.

_Please don't let it be Mom or Dad,_ he thought desperately, a spike of fear shooting through him. He didn't know what he would do if anything were to happen to his parents.

"No, sweetie, everything is fine," Jennifer assured him, giving him an understanding smile in the mirror. "I just picked you kids up from school because I'm doing a favor for your Mom."

"What kind of favor?" Will asked, his brow furrowing in confusion. If his mother had needed help with something, why hadn't she just asked his father?

"I'm going to help her cook up a surprise dinner for your Dad," Jennifer answered, her eyes twinkling.

Will's eyes lit up and he couldn't keep the grin off his face. "Really?" he cried excitedly. "Mom's making dinner for them, just the two of them?"

"That's right," Jennifer confirmed with a nod. "Which is why I'm dropping you two off at Gran's for an hour or two while I go help her in the kitchen. She seemed to think it was safer to have me help, rather than try to do it herself."

"Yeah," Will agreed with a chuckle. "Mom's not all that great a cook, she burns stuff a lot, but she tries hard."

And she did try, she always had, which meant a lot to him, but the truth was he was more than happy to eat microwave lasagna most nights. Lucas always cooked steak or chicken or something, so dinner with Sami was unique, because they tried different things that looked good in the frozen foods section of the grocery store every week.

Of course, if his wish came true and his parents got back together, then his father would probably just do the cooking all the time, but maybe he could still get his mother to convince him to order a pizza every now and then.

_I wonder which apartment we'll live in? _Will thought. Then again, maybe his parents would just decide to get a house right away. That would be awesome, he'd always wanted a back yard to play in, and then his friends Ryan and Josh could come over to kick a soccerball around outside. Maybe they could even have Aunt Jenn and Abby over for picnic dinners in the lawn.

"She makes good s'mores, though," Abby offered. "Right, Will?" 

"Right," he agreed with a nod.

"S'mores?" Jennifer echoed. "In the microwave?"

"No way," Will scoffed. "That's cheating! Mom makes them over the fireplace for us. She got little skewering sticks for it and everything, it's great."

"That sounds cool," Jennifer replied, checking her side mirrors before merging into the left lane. "You know, your grandfather used to make me and Uncle Mike s'mores whenever we went camping when we were kids."

"Grandpa Bill did that?" Abby asked.

"Yeah," Jennifer said, nodding. "He and Mike used to like their marshmallows black and crispy on the outside, but I thought that was gross and only wanted mine lightly toasted."

"Granddad John taught Mom to make them," Will said quietly, feeling a bit sad that his mother and her stepfather, who he adored, didn't seem to get along. He just couldn't understand why, since John had raised her and Uncle Eric, but his father had explained that she just needed to come to terms with the past, and insisted that deep down she and John really did love each other.

"Well, I'm sure that John would be glad to know that she's passed it on to you," Jennifer told him lightly.

"Yeah," Will murmured, turning his head to look out the window at the scenery passing by. After a few seconds, Jennifer and Abby started up a conversation of their own, about whether or not they thought the new baby would be a boy or a girl, and what they should name it.

Taking advantage of their distraction, Will submersed himself in his own thoughts, mostly about his parents. He wasn't sure why his mother had suddenly decided to surprise his father with dinner for two, but he was just happy that she seemed to be finally opening up with, or at least admitting to, the feelings he'd always known she had for his father.

As long as he lived, no matter how old he got or how many times they tried to explain it, he would never understand why it had taken them so long to realize what was between them. Even when he'd been just a little kid, he'd always noticed the tension, the passion, they shared, especially when they were arguing. He'd once actually asked Henderson if Lucas was about to kiss Sami after witnessing the tow of them in the middle of one of their arguments, and the butler had just chuckled, saying it would certainly make for good entertainment.

Of course, his mother had been fawning over his Uncle Austin for like forever, and then she'd gotten involved with Brandon, so for a while Will had been questioning her sanity, but in the end it all worked out for the best. Uncle Austin had moved to New York and Brandon left Salem, and as far as Will was concerned, they needed to stay far, far away from his mother.

Thankfully, Sami didn't seem to even remember them anymore. It was amazing that she could remember anything except for Lucas, the way she was constantly staring at him with wide, adoring eyes. As much as Will wanted his parents together, he was hoping she wouldn't still be doing that five years from now, it might get embarrassing.

Then again, his parents had embarrassed him plenty over the years already, but he just chalked that up to them being the neurotic people they were. Besides, who wasn't at least a little bit embarrassed by their parents nowadays?

They pulled up at the Horton house, and Jennifer put the car in park, looking over her shoulder at him and Abby as they unbuckled. "I'll be back soon to pick you kids up, okay?" she told them. "Behave for Gran."

"We will," they chorused dutifully, climbing out of the car.

"Hey, Aunt Jenn?" Will said suddenly, getting a sly idea. "Is it okay if I spend the night with you and Abby tonight? So that my parents can have some privacy to... talk or whatever."

Jennifer smiled, not missing what he was implying. "I'll ask your Mom when I get there and if she says that it's okay, I'll have her pack a bag for you, how's that?"

"Great," Will grinned as he shut the car door. "Thanks, Aunt Jenn." 

"Anything for my favorite nephew," Jennifer replied with a wink. "Love you, Abby."

"Love you, too, Mom," Abby said.

Jennifer waved towards front door, where Alice Horton was now standing, then drove off down the street. Abby skipped up the driveway towards their great-grandmother, and Will followed at a much more manly pace, since skipping was for girls.

"Hi, Gran," Abby cried, hugging her.

"Hello, Abigail," Alice replied, her old eyes sparkling. "Hello, William, how was your day at school?"

"Hi, Gran," Will said, allowing her to hug him. "It was okay." 

"Just okay?" Alice asked with a gentle shake of her head as she ushered them inside the house. "Well, that won't do at all. I've got a plate of fresh doughnuts in the kitchen that might just make your day a bit better."

"With powdered sugar on them?"

"But of course, dear," Alice chuckled. "Run along and pour yourselves some milk. I'll be in to join you in a moment."

"Okay," Will responded. "C'mon, Abby."

Together, they made their way into the kitchen, where sure enough, they found a plate of doughnuts waiting for them. They were still warm, which meant that Alice had made them especially for them, and Will smiled to himself as he took a bite.

"Mmm," Abby murmured. "These are so good."

"Krispy Kreme has nothing on Gran, huh?" Will retorted, crossing the room to grab two glasses from the cabinet, then getting the milk out of the refrigerator. He poured himself some, then filled the second glass for Abby and returned the milk jug to its place in the refrigerator.

"Thanks," Abby said when he gave her the milk. She took a long gulp to wash down the large chunk of her doughnut she'd just eaten, then dropped down into a chair at the table. "So do you think your Mom is going to kiss your Dad tonight?"

"Wouldn't surprise me," Will answered with a shrug, sitting down next to her. A small smirk tugged its way onto his lips as he took another bite of doughnut. "They can't take their eyes off each other, it's kind of funny. They'll start to lean in like they're going to kiss, then they pull back or make it a kiss on the cheek."

"Ah, I remember when my parents went through that stage before they got back together," Abby remarked, nodding thoughtfully. "It won't be long now, cuz, till they're making out in front of you all the time until you want to roll your eyes."

Will grinned, taking another bite of doughnut. "Guess I'll have to tell them to get a room, huh?"

"I'd love to see the look on your Mom's face if you said that to them," Abby giggled. "Hey, maybe they'll get married and she'll be my aunt, that would be cool."

"And then I could get a little brother or sister, just like you," Will added eagerly.

Abby smiled sadly. "I think my Dad would be happy for your parents, he really liked your Mom."

Will nodded somberly, some of his excitement waning at the reminder that his Uncle Jack, Abby's father, was gone forever, killed by the same psycho who attacked his mother. "I miss him," he confided in her quietly. "He was always a lot of fun."

"Yeah," Abby murmured, lowering her eyes as they filled with tears. "He was the best Dad in the whole world."

They sat in silence for a long moment, and Will tried to think of something to say or do to make her feel better, but he wasn't all that good at dealing with girls, especially when they were sad. His mother didn't count, because she wasn't a girl, and besides, all it took to cheer her up was a hug. He wasn't sure he if he should hug Abby or not, because he was afraid it might make her cry.

_What was it Dad said to do if she or Aunt Jenn looked sad?_ he thought, biting his lip in concentration_. Oh, right, make them laugh. _

"I bet you five bucks that my Grandma Kate has to be bound and gagged at Mom and Dad's wedding, just like Mom was at hers," he said with a smirk.

Abby snorted, shaking her head, and a faint smile touched her lips. "We can tie her up like we used to do to Uncle Mike when he baby-sat for us."

Now it was Will who smiled, remembering the time that Jennifer had left her older brother to watch the two of them for only thirty minutes while she went to the grocery store since they were playing at her house that day, and when she'd come home she had nearly fallen over laughing to discover that they had tied Uncle Mike to a chair with a jump-rope.

"Mom would love that," he replied.

"Your grandmother sure hates her," Abby muttered with a frown. "My Mom says that she's got issues and needs to let go of the past." 

"My Dad says the same thing," Will sighed. "I don't get her problem. I mean, she should be happy that we're going to be a real family, right? It's what I've always wanted, and it's what Dad's always wanted, too. But all she does is rag on Mom and tell Dad what a mistake it would be if they got together."

"Maybe we really should tie her up and throw her in a closet or something," Abby suggested with a wink. "I still have that jump-rope." 

"Keep it handy," Will groaned, biting into his doughnut in frustration. "Dad told her to back off, but I'm not sure she will."

He'd said as much to his father, but Lucas had just told him not to worry about it, to let him handle it. It was a ridiculous thing to say, since Will couldn't not worry, this was every dream he'd ever had, every wish he'd ever made while blowing out his birthday candles every year. There was nothing, and no one, that he would allow to come between his parents now.

_They're meant to be together,_ he mused to himself. _Anyone can see that. _

Anyone, that was, except for his grandmother.

_Grandpa Roman, _he thought grimly. _Wherever you are, I sure hope you're keeping tabs on Grandma up there, because somebody's got to keep her from making a mess of things. _

"Anyway, I wouldn't worry about her too much," Abby told him. "Uncle Lucas is totally in love with your Mom, and you were right about the way she looks at him, too. It's so obvious, I don't know how they haven't seen it before now."

"They're stubborn," Will answered with a shrug.

"And so are you, cuz," Abby pointed out. "It must be genetic." 

Will made a face at her, but didn't say anything back since he heard Alice entering the kitchen behind him.

"And just what are you two so happy about, hmm?" Alice asked, approaching the table.

"The fact that my parents are going to hook up," Will announced, smiling broadly. "We're finally going to be a real family." 

"Is that so?" Alice mused with a knowing smile as she helped herself to one of her doughnuts. "Well, I must say, it's certainly about time those two came to their senses."

"It's kind of lame that it took them so long to get a clue," Abby snickered.

"Parents," Will sighed, shaking his head in exasperation. "They're a handful."


	25. Chapter 25

**Matters of the Heart**

**Chapter Twenty-Five:**

He'd almost gone back out into the hallway to check and make sure he was actually in the right apartment, but the furniture was all the same and there was the infamous photograph of a young Sami and Eric crawling over John, the one that had led to Sami's emotional breakdown a few days prior.

So why, then, was there a tantalizing aroma of home-cooked food wafting through the apartment?  
Just to be sure, he sniffed the air, but the wasn't even the faintest trace of smoke.

_Did I just walk into the Twilight Zone? _he wondered with a frown.

"Sami?" he called out, placing his briefcase down on the coffee table and tugging off his suit jacket.

She emerged from the bedroom, dressed in a simple but flattering little black dress, her hair worn in curls that cascaded freely over her shoulders, and a necklace that he was pretty sure had been a gift from either Roman or John for her sixteenth birthday adorning her neck.

"You're home," she observed, biting her lip nervously.

"Yeah," Lucas responded, his voice a little off as he took in the sight of her, overwhelmed by her beauty. "I just got back. You look beautiful."

Sami blushed, looking down with an embarrassed smile. "Thank you," she murmured.

"Something smells good," Lucas commented, glancing towards the kitchen curiously. "What's going on, hmm?"

"I thought it might be nice to have dinner together," Sami explained. "Just the two of us."

Lucas raised his eyebrows at that, noting the fact that she had apparently gotten herself all dressed up and clearly put a lot of work into making dinner something special, just for the two of them. "That sounds nice," he told her softly, his heart skipping a beat at the shy smile that crossed her face. "I take it Will's not home then?"

"He's at Jenn's," Sami replied, smoothing out the front of her dress, and Lucas couldn't tear his eyes away from her hands. "He's, uh, actually going to spend the night there. It was his idea."

_Oh, that's subtle, buddy,_ Lucas thought with a silent snort, but he had to admire the kid's determination.

"So what are we having for dinner?" he asked, tugging at his tie and pulling it off.

"Um, grilled chicken, spanish rice and steamed vegetables," Sami answered, heading into the kitchen. As he followed her, Lucas noticed that the table had already been set for two, and she was using the good china, which he had teased her relentlessly about at one time because she had never used them in all the time she'd owned them.

She grabbed the plates off of the table and walked over to the stovetop, using the tongs to pick up a large chicken breast from the pan resting on the stove and placing it on one of the plates. She put the other piece of chicken on the second plate, then began to scoop rice out of the saucepan on top of the chicken.

Lucas watched her as she worked, unable to keep from smiling. While she would never be June Cleaver, she wasn't half-bad at this housewife thing. Even if she usually couldn't cook much more than spaghetti, he didn't think there was a woman in all the world that was better suited for him.

"Wow, you really outdid yourself, Sami," he commented, impressed.

"Jenn helped," Sami admitted ruefully, adding steamed vegetables to the first plate and then setting it aside out of the way. "I didn't think you'd want to eat burnt food, so she gave me a hand."

Lucas stared at her incredulously, unable to believe what he'd just heard. "You and my sister were cooking together?"

"Why not?"

"Because you two don't like each other," he answered, as if that should have been obvious. "At all."

"Yeah, well," Sami said with a shrug as she worked on the second plate. "I wanted dinner to be perfect, and I'm not much a cook, so I got Jenn to help. She is your sister, after all, she wouldn't want you to have to get your stomach pumped after eating my cooking or anything."

"Your cooking isn't that bad," Lucas assured her, unable to keep the smile off of his lips. "So you and Jenn spent the afternoon together in the kitchen, huh? And there was no bloodshed?"

"None at all," Sami replied indignantly, carrying the plates over to the table. "We talked about the kids while we cooked, we laughed when I nearly ruined the rice on the first try, and we had a nice, quiet afternoon. Is that so hard to believe?"

"Normally, I would say yes," Lucas told her, watching her as she moved across the room to the refrigerator. "But today you're full of surprises."

Sami reached into the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of wine, causing Lucas to stiffen slightly. She turned around and caught sight of his expression and bit her lip. "It's nonalcoholic," she assured him. "I don't buy the other stuff anymore."

"And why is that?" Lucas asked quietly.

Sami looked down at her feet again, something he'd noticed she was doing a lot of tonight. "I don't think it's fair, that's all," she murmured. "You can't drink it, so it would just be cruel to keep it around, right? I gave Brady the bottle of wine that was in the refrigerator."

"Thank you," he said at last, swallowing past the lump in his throat. "That means a lot to me."

"Yeah, well," Sami shrugged. "You mean a lot to me, Lucas, so it's the least I can do."

"You mean a lot to me, too, sweetheart," Lucas told her, reaching out a hand to brush a loose strand of hair away from her face, tucking it gently behind her ear. "You always have."

"I know," Sami replied sheepishly, and he raised an eyebrow. "I guess that's part of why I wanted to do this whole thing tonight. To say thank you for everything you've done for me these past few months, not just after my attack, but ever since my accident at the DiMera mansion last summer, really. But also to say that even though I may push you away sometimes and act like I don't notice how much you care about me, but I do, and I care about you, too."

"Here," Lucas said, reaching out to take the bottle from her. "Since you cooked, I'll pour."

"Thanks."

Once both their glasses were full, he held out her chair for her, earning a small smile in return, then seated himself across from her. Lifting his knife, he sliced up his chicken, then speared a piece with his fork and took a bite.

"Well?" Sami asked eagerly, her nervousness too endearing for words. "How is it?"

"It's really good," Lucas informed her honestly. "You and Jenn make a good team, at least in the kitchen."

"She was a big help," Sami remarked, taking a bite of her own food. "I probably would have burnt down the whole building without her."

"So does this mean you two are starting to come around and warm up to each other?" Lucas inquired, hoping that might be the case. He was rather fond of his sister, and it would be nice to have at least one member of his family supporting his relationship with Sami. Philip was in their corner, of course, but with his mother on the warpath, Lucas didn't want to put his little brother in the middle of that mess.

"We're making an effort," Sami conceded. "For your sake, and for Will and Abby's."

"That's very mature of you," Lucas commented. "Both of you."

"Don't make a big deal out of it, okay?" Sami grumbled, looking down at her food. "We cooked together, that's all. It's not like we went shopping and to the spa or something."

"I know," Lucas said evenly. "But it's a start. And I appreciate you trying, Sami. I know Jenn's not your favorite person."

Sami just smiled, and they ate in comfortable silence for a few minutes, casting one another tender glances every once and a while. The food was good, he hadn't just been trying to be nice when he told her that, everything tasted great. He was going to have to remember to thank Jenn for helping out when he went to pick up Will in the morning.

As they ate, Lucas studied Sami from across the table, intrigued by her behavior, but mostly just captivated by her beauty. He'd always thought she was a pretty girl, even back when they were teenagers and she considered herself to be the ugly duckling next to Marlena and Carrie. There had just been something graceful about her features, something that alluded to the beautiful woman she would grow into, and she had only gotten more beautiful with time.

But her eyes had always been the most amazing shade of blue he'd ever seen. No matter how hard he'd looked over the years, he could never find that same exact color anywhere else, save for her eyes.

A few minutes later, they finished eating and Sami took their plates over to the sink, but Lucas stopped her from washing them. "I'll do them," he explained when she looked over at him in surprise. "It's the least I can do since you cooked as a 'thank you'."

"This dinner was also sort of an apology," she murmured. "For everything I've done to you. I know I said I was sorry the other day, but sometimes words just don't seem like enough, so..."

"Thank you," Lucas replied, feeling his throat tighten a little as he reached out to take her hand in his. "I know it's probably hard to believe, but all I've ever really wanted deep down was an apology. Well, that and our son," he added with a weak smile. "But since you've given me both of those things, I guess it's time I give you an apology of my own, huh?"

Sami merely pressed her lips together, listening, and he took a shaky breath, steeling himself for what he'd known he would one day have to say to her.

"I'm sorry for Italy," he whispered hoarsely, his thumb stroking her knuckles tenderly. "I'm sorry that I let my mother and Victor do those things to you, that I played any part in all of that." He paused, licking his lips, then whispered, "And I'm sorry for letting you go to jail for a crime I committed."

Though he knew that she knew he had been the one to kill Franco, she'd held the evidence in her own hands at one point, this was the first time she had ever heard a direct confession coming from him, and a small part of him was terrified that she might turn away from him because of it.

After all, even though she had nearly died because of him on several occasions, that day she technically had died. Her heart had stopped beating thanks to the lethal injection she'd been given, and if it hadn't been for his brother Mike, she would never have come back to them at all.

A strange look crossed Sami's face, one that he couldn't really define, and his heart lodged in his throat, fearing her condemnation.

"Did you frame me for Franco's murder?" she asked, in a surprisingly even tone, especially considering that his voice was shaky at best.

"No," he answered honestly. Silently, he prayed she wouldn't ask him who did, because despite all of her meddling in his life, despite the fact that she was willing to destroy any chance of happiness he and Sami had together just because she didn't like the idea of them being a couple, his mother was still his mother, and if she asked him, he would tell her the truth.

"And you really didn't know about the execution until it was too late?" Sami inquired seriously, her pale blue gaze boring through him. "You came to try and stop it, to confess, as soon as you found out?"

"Yes," Lucas confirmed quietly. "I meant what I said all those years ago, Sami. I never, ever wanted you dead. No matter how angry I was with you, I still cared about you. I still wanted you around, even if it was just to drive me crazy."

"I'm good at that," Sami murmured.

"Yeah," Lucas agreed with a faint smile. "You are."

Sami sighed heavily, turning to lean back against the counter. "Is it a strange thing to say that I feel old all of the sudden?"

"How so?"

"Our son is growing up so fast, first of all," Sami retorted. "But mostly because a few years ago if you had admitted that to me, I think I would have gone straight to the police to turn your mother in for framing me." Lucas blinked, startled at her intuition, and she gave him a pointed look that bordered on exasperation. "Well, if it wasn't you, it had to be her."

"Why is now any different from a few years ago?" Lucas demanded gently. "I mean, Mom tried to bring the tape of you confessing to perjury against you not even a week ago..."

"I'm not doing it because of her," Sami said sourly, but her expression softened a moment later. "I just don't want to see you or Will hurt, that's all, and going after your mother would hurt you both." She looked down at the ground, shrugging her slender shoulders. "I guess losing Daddy made me realize that life is short, you know? Anyone could be next, and there's no guarantee for how much time you have with the people you love."

"You're right," Lucas agreed huskily, a swell of emotion rising in his chest. "When I saw you lying in the snow outside of Tuscany that night... I couldn't breathe, Sami. If we'd lost you, I don't know how I would have been able to go on."

"What are you saying?" Sami asked in a hushed voice.

"I promised myself if you would just wake up, I would tell you..."

"Tell me what?" she inquired softly, and there was as much vulnerability in her hushed voice as he felt churning inside of himself. "Lucas?" she prodded gently when he didn't answer, her pale blue eyes searching his expectantly, a twinge of hope lighting her gaze.

"This," he murmured, and then his lips captured hers in a short, tender kiss that somehow managed to convey all of the conflicting emotions that she brought out in him.

He broke the kiss after a few seconds, but didn't pull away, leaning his forehead against hers with his eyes closed, unwilling to open them for fear that he would see rejection in her eyes.

"I love you," he confessed in a strangled whisper. "I've loved you for so long that sometimes I can't remember a time when I didn't love you."

"Lucas?" she breathed, a slight tremble to her voice. "Lucas, please look at me."

Begrudgingly, he complied, bracing himself for the inevitable backlash of his actions. He had no doubt that Sami wanted him, he'd seen the way she looked at him from time to time, but wanting him and loving him were two entirely different matters, and every time he tried to get close to her, she always seemed to push him away.

But this time she surprised him.

Sami stared at him silently, looking for all the world like the girl he had once been friends with, the girl who he had conceived his son with. Sweet, innocent, delicate Sami, who felt so unloved and so abandoned, her fragile heart afraid of being broken again.

"Say that again," she ordered quietly.

Lucas swallowed hard, taking a deep breath to calm his shaking hands. "I love you," he repeated miserably.

For a long moment she just looked at him, with an expression he couldn't quite read. It was almost hesitant, but there was something trusting and unguarded in her eyes, something he hadn't seen directed at him in a long time.

"Do you really?" she asked, nearly breathless.

It was all Lucas could do to nod, uncertain what to expect from her now. There was no taking it back now that it was out there between them, he couldn't undo the damage of speaking those words to her, and he wasn't sure he would have even if he could.

"Lucas?"

"Yeah?" he asked hoarsely.

"I love you, too."

Lucas had to blink not once but twice to be sure he'd actually heard her right, and that it wasn't just wishfully thinking that led his brain to process her words as a declaration of love for him. "Sami," he rasped, his throat tight with emotion and his chest suddenly heavier than he could ever recall it being. "I'm serious here."

"So am I," she replied, her lips curving up into a soft, easy smile, the kind he had rarely been graced with over the past few years. "I love you, Lucas. I think maybe I always have."

"Oh God, Sami," Lucas breathed, reaching for her and drawing her face closer to his own. "You don't know how badly I've wanted to hear you say that. I-"

Sami promptly silenced him with a kiss, but unlike the one he had given her moments before, hers started out soft and tentative, before growing in intensity and passion. It was a kiss of long-lost lovers, fueled by the stifled desire that had been simmering between them for the past decade. Whatever else had been going on with them, no one had ever been able to deny the spark they shared. When they fought, it was like fireworks were erupting around them, but Lucas had discovered a while back that as much of a rush as fighting with Sami Brady was, kissing her was even better.

Everything inside of him was aching with relief, down to the very last fiber of his being. Sami loved him, she'd said so herself, and no words had ever sounded so sweet to his ears. What he'd once felt for Carrie and for Nicole didn't come close to comparing with what he felt for the woman in his arms now, and he knew that nothing ever could.

After a while, Sami began to pull away, and Lucas groaned to himself, but he couldn't help feeling a flicker of pride at the disheveled, breathless appearance he'd left her with. "We're really stupid, you know that?" she asked with a soft laugh.

"How's that?" Lucas asked, raising an eyebrow inquisitively.

"It took us how many years to get here?" Sami replied, shaking her head in disbelief. "Can you imagine all the grief we could have saved this town, not to mention ourselves, if we'd just figured this out all those years ago?"

Lucas could imagine, he could imagine very well, and he had done so often enough over the years as the distance between himself and Sami continued to grow. What if he'd gone after her that night when she fled the Titan Photo Lab? What if he'd just had the common sense to lock the door so that Austin hadn't walked in on them? What if he'd pushed her harder when she came back to town pregnant about whether or not he could have been the father? What if he'd just been honest with her about the confusing, and complicated, feelings she had started to evoke in him?

Would they have been a real family all along, the two of them and Will? Would he and Sami have been happily married all this time, instead of at each other's throats?

That was the problem with "what ifs", though, because there was nothing to be done about them. The past was the past, and there wasn't anything anyone could do to change what had happened. All they could was put it behind them, and move on with the future together.

"Oh, I think we would have still managed to cause this town a good deal of grief," Lucas replied wryly, choosing to go that road instead of letting her in on the direction his thoughts had turned. "After all, we're pretty good at causing trouble, especially when we put our heads together."

"Yeah," Sami agreed, smiling up at him. "We always did make a good team."

"We still do," Lucas pointed out, reaching out to touch her cheek gently. "We always will."

"Promise?" Sami asked, trying to keep her tone light and jovial, but Lucas knew her better than anyone, probably better than she knew herself, and he heard the undercurrent of insecurity in her voice.

"Yeah," he murmured, stroking the length of her cheekbone with the back of his hand. "I promise. I'm not going anywhere, you're stuck with me, Brady."

"God help me," Sami said, attempting sarcasm, but it came out breathless instead, her blue eyes gazing up at him adoringly.

Licking his lips, Lucas bent his head to capture her mouth in a gentle, passionate kiss, and she snaked her arms around his neck, pulling herself against him. His hands went to her hair, burying themselves in her tumbling curls, and he distantly felt her fingers playing with the hair at the nape of his neck, causing a small shiver to course through his body.

For the longest moment, he lost himself in Sami's kisses. The feel of her lips on his, their tongues intertwining, and her lithe little body pressed tight against his was as painfully exquisite. God, it had been so long since they'd kissed like this. Sure, they'd shared some kisses since the day he'd kissed her in the heat of the moment after coming over to get Will's permission slip, but those had all been sweet and short, nothing like this.

Deepening the kiss, he let his hands roam down Sami's shoulders and her sides to rest on her waist, eliciting a low moan against his lips from her. Her own hands found their way into his hair, tugging him closer as their kissing became more frenzied and passionate.

And then, suddenly, Sami pulled away, breathing hard and reeling from his kiss. Lucas frowned in confusion, and opened his mouth to ask her what was wrong, but she pressed a finger to his lips, silencing him before he could even speak.

"Will's gone for the night," she reminded him quietly, her blue eyes bright and trusting as she let that statement hang in the air between them.

Swallowing hard, Lucas drew on every last shred of self-control he still had, and shook his head. "No, Sami, we don't have to... there's no rush, okay? I don't want you to feel pressured just because we confessed our love for each other. We have plenty of time to be together."

"Lucas," she said softly, a small but serious smile playing across her lips, and he could see her conviction, her certainty, shining clearly in her eyes. "Don't you think we've wasted enough time already?"

Unable to argue with that, Lucas let her take him by the hand and lead him towards the bedroom.


	26. Chapter 26

**Matters of the Heart**

**Chapter Twenty-Six:**

Looking over the monthly expenses report, John Black sighed, rubbing his forehead wearily. He knew that he should be focusing on work, but he just had too much on his mind.

Roman and Tony were both dead, murdered at the hands of the serial killer, and the police were still no closer to catching the monster responsible for the deaths of so many beloved friends and family members. He was worried about Sami, knowing that she was still wrestling with her father's death. He was worried about Brady living in the Kiriakis mansion with Victor and Nicole at one another's throats and ready to kill each other. He was worried that Belle might be on the verge of deciding to remove her purity ring and sleep with Shawn.

And to top it all off, Marlena was acting strange again.

It wasn't anything he could put his finger on, there was just something... off about her lately. He supposed it could just be shock over Roman's death, but his gut feeling said that it was something more.

He just had no idea what that something more could be.

Glancing at the clock on his office wall, he wondered if it was too early to take a lunch break. Maybe he just needed to get out of the office for a bit to clear his head, then tackle the stack of paperwork on his desk when he got back.

The intercom speaker on his desk buzzed suddenly, and he reached over to press the button. "Yes?"

"Mr. Black, your stepdaughter is here to see you, sir," his secretary informed him.

John raised an eyebrow in surprise. Sami was supposed to be on leave for at least another week, so he hadn't expected to see her at Basic Black, and he certainly hadn't expected her to drop by the office just to see him.

"Send her in, please," he replied, his brow furrowing in concern.

The door to his office opened, and in stepped his stepdaughter dressed in a pair of dark blue jeans and a red sweater, her golden hair pulled back into a ponytail at the nape of her neck. Her mouth was drawn into a grim set, etched with weary grief, but her eyes were surprisingly bright, and he got the sense that whatever was going on in her life, at least some of it had turned out the way she wanted it to.

"Hello, Samantha," John greeted her.

"Hi," she said, almost shyly.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, rising to his feet and stepping out from behind his desk.

"That's kind of a complicated question," Sami replied, shifting nervously. "I just... I guess I just needed to talk to you about some things."

"Alright, why don't you have a seat?" John told her, closing his office door so that they could have some privacy. "How are you doing, kiddo?"

"I'm okay," Sami answered quietly, looking down at her hands as she lowered herself into a chair in front of his desk. "It's been a long week, though."

"Yes, it has," John agreed with a somber nod, seating himself back in his own chair. "Your mother and I have been worried about you, so have Belle and Brady. We all know how much Roman meant to you, how deeply his death has hurt you, and if there's anything you need, anything at all, I want you to know that you can come to any of us."

"Thank you," Sami murmured, keeping her eyes lowered.

"How's Will holding up?" John inquired.

"It's been hard for him, having so many people he loves taken away," Sami replied softly. "But I think he's doing better."

"He's a strong boy," John commented, feeling a twinge of pride. "You and Lucas have done a good job raising him."

"We try," Sami sighed. "I know we've both made a lot of mistakes, some people think I'm not fit to be a mother and some people think Lucas isn't fit to be a father, but we're doing the best we can to give Will everything he could ever want."

"Everything?" John echoed pointedly, thinking of his step-grandson's determination to get his parents back together again, to have a real family like all of his friends did.

"We're working on that," Sami admitted with a blush, knowing where his thoughts had turned.

Pleasantly surprised, John smiled. "Well, good," he responded. "I'm glad to hear that."

And he truly was. It was impossible not to notice the way that Lucas looked at her, and despite the fact that on occasion the younger man's gaze was filled with a less than innocent emotion, John was relieved that Sami seemed to have finally noticed it, too. She'd never exactly had what one would call a smooth love life, with Austin and Brandon she had done questionable things to get them to stay with her, things that had always disappointed John, because he knew she was better than that.

But the truth was, neither Austin nor Brandon had ever really loved her, at least not in the unconditional way that a man and a woman should love each other. That was the kind of love that John had always wanted for her, and now it looked like she had finally found it, with Lucas, of all people.

_Oh, Kate is going to have an aneurysm, _he thought to himself, unable to keep from snickering. As much as he liked the woman and admired her business savvy, she had been getting on his last nerve lately with all her talk of how Sami was the devil and how she had to find a way to get her out of Lucas and Will's lives for good. While he knew that he had participated in his own Sami-bashing since the start of the serial killings, did Kate really think it was the smartest thing to be mouthing off about how she was going to ruin his stepdaughter right in front of him?

Something was going to have to be done about her, that was certain. Maybe he needed to have a little talk with his employee sometime soon, because from the look on Sami's face, she and Lucas had already gotten pretty serious.

"So, what brings you to my office today?" John asked, clearing his throat and trying not to think about just how serious the two of them might have gotten.

"I want to come back to work."

John blinked, taken aback by that announcement. He certainly hadn't expected her to say that, not when she clearly hated her job almost as much as she hated Kate. "Samantha, you're on paid sick leave until the end of the month," he reminded her.

"I know, and I appreciate that, John," Sami replied, biting her lip. "I do, but... I just need to keep myself busy right now, you know? I need to try and move on with my life, and the best way I can think of to do that is to start working again."

Impressed, and a bit shocked, by the maturity she was displaying, John was silent for a long moment, trying to decide what the best course of action was. When he'd offered her paid leave while she recovered from her attack and grieved for her father, part of him had been expecting that she would extend that leave as long as possible and that he would have to order her back to work.

Now though, she had proven him wrong, and he was actually quite proud of that. Still, he didn't like the idea of her down in that basement office right now. Even though she'd been given a clean bill of health from Lexie, the doctor had made it clear that she was concerned Sami might be developing some depression, and knowing how much Sami loathed that office, John was concerned that it might not be healthy for her right now.

As busy as things were at Basic Black, he didn't think it was a good idea for her to come back to work just yet.

_Unless..._ he thought, sudden inspiration striking him. It wasn't a decision to be made lightly, of course, and Sami hadn't exactly earned it, but then again, Belle hadn't had to earn her luxury office, now had she?

His youngest was still in college, with very little work experience and certainly no qualifications, despite her immense talent, and he'd given her an ideal job without hesitation. It had never occurred to him before, but Sami probably resented him even more because of that.

_It must seem like I'm always playing favorites with Belle and Brady,_ John realized with a sigh. He hadn't ever thought about it like that before, because he loved Sami and Eric just as much as he did his own biological children, but his actions didn't exactly seem to support that, now did they?

"If that's what you really want," he told Sami.

"It is."

"One thing, though, Samantha," John said evenly, making a decision. "I don't think you belong in that basement office."

"You're the one who put me there in the first place," Sami reminded him incredulously, a trace of bitter annoyance in her eyes.

"I know," John replied with a slow nod. "I wish I could say that it was nothing personal, that I didn't let my feelings get involved, but I think we both know that's just not true." Sami pressed her lips together in a tight line and folded her arms over her chest, but remained silent, so he continued. "I gave you a job I knew would make you miserable, because some part of me wanted you to be as miserable as you were making me."

"Yeah, well, what did you expect?" Sami snapped hotly. "For me to give you a hug after you got my own mother to fire me from the hospital?"

"I stand by my opinion that you needed to be fired from the hospital, Samantha, because what you did when you switched the results of the paternity test was wrong," John replied gravely. "But I shouldn't have pressured your mother to vote against you. I thought I was doing the right thing, teaching you a lesson, making you face the consequences of your actions..."

"Then why did you give me a job at Basic Black in the first place?" Sami demanded.

"Because your mother asked me to mostly, but a little bit of it was because I didn't want to see you unemployed," John admitted, folding his hands in front of him and fixing her with a serious look. "You have to know that I love you, Samantha, as much now as I did when you were growing up. Despite everything that's changed between us, that never has."

"You sure have a funny way of showing it," Sami sneered, and he recognized her attempt to avoid that touchy subject, but he wasn't about to let it go until he'd had his say.

"You're not innocent in this, either, Samantha Gene," he scolded as gently as possible. "You've treated me just as poorly as I've treated you. That's part of the problem. I don't know why we hurt each other the way we do, Samantha. I just know that when you lash out at me, I lash out back, and vice-versa. It's a sick cycle that we just can't seem to break."

_And maybe the two of us are more alike in some ways than either of us want to admit,_ John mused to himself, his jaw tightening.

It shouldn't have been such a surprise, considering he had been the one to raise her. Weren't children supposed to mold themselves after their parents during their younger years? Sami certainly had inherited his temperament, his stubbornness, his tendency to hold a grudge. How long had he maintained bad blood with his half-brother Tony, never able to give him the benefit of the doubt, even up until his death?

"So you're admitting that you stuck me in that office out of spite?" Sami challenged with a cold smirk.

"Yes," John agreed, not taking the bait. If he was ever going to get anywhere with Sami, he was going to have to hold his tongue when she tried to get a rise out of him. "Yes, I am, and it was wrong of me. I spend so much time complaining about the vindictive, childish way you treat me, when my own behavior isn't much better. But I'm the parent here," he said, and he didn't miss the flicker in her eyes when he referred to himself as her parent, but she didn't protest it the way he was half-expecting her to. "I should be setting an example instead of acting so petty."

"So you're saying all of this because you feel guilty?"

"I'm saying all of this because it's true," John corrected, while he supposed that she wasn't entirely wrong with her assumption. "And I'm sorry."

"Pretty words don't make things all better, you know," Sami informed him with a scowl. "If you even mean that apology at all."

"I do mean it," John told her firmly. "And I know words alone don't make up for it, which is why I've been trying to offer you a better job for the past five minutes."

That left Sami speechless, for once, and her eyes widening in surprise as she stared at him in disbelief, so John made a mental note that the best way to shut her up was to throw her completely off-guard. The stunned expression on her face would have been comical, if the situation hadn't been so tense.

"You're what?" Sami finally managed to ask.

"You did good work at Titan as the Director of Imaging," John explained evenly. "So if you're interested, we've had a position open up recently that should better suit your skills. The pay is good, and the hours are pretty flexible so you could work your schedule around Will's activities, and you'd have a nicer office up here on the main floor."

He could practically see the wheels turning in his stepdaughter's head as she tried to figure out if this was some kind of joke, or if he was up to something, so he carefully kept his face as neutral as possible.

"You're serious?" Sami demanded, her eyes narrowing sharply.

"Completely," John promised with a nod. "The office next to Belle's is available, but if you don't want to be right next to her, we can find you a different one."

Sami was considering it, that much was obvious from the gleam in her eyes, and he knew that she was liking what she was hearing so far, so he decided to throw in the clincher. If she'd been tempted before, she was going to be floored by this next part.

"Of course, the best part of the deal is that you'd be out from under Kate's thumb," he mentioned as casually as possible. "She wouldn't be your boss any longer."

"Are you serious?" Sami cried again, but this time it was an exclamation of excitement instead of suspicion.

John nodded solemnly. "There is one thing, though, that might discourage you from taking the job, and if that's the case, then I'll understand."

"And that is?"

"You wouldn't be working under Kate anymore, but now you'd be working under me," John informed her, bracing himself for the inevitable outburst.

Only it never came.

Sami got very quiet, and very still, her expression revealing nothing as her thoughts turned inward, so John could only watch her, waiting patiently to hear what she had to say about his offer. He knew things wouldn't be all smooth sailing if she accepted, the two of them had too much baggage for tempers not to flare up every once and a while, but if she took the job and had to spend more time around him, maybe they'd be able to at least be civil to one another from now on.

"I'm not exactly the best employee," Sami pointed out hesitantly. "I can be moody and stubborn."

"So can I," John replied evenly. "If this is going to work, then we're just going to have to agree to leave our personal issues at the door and maintain a business relationship at the office."

"So you're saying I can still yell at you and accuse you of being out to kill my mother as long as I don't do it at work?"

John blanched and opened his mouth to make an outraged response, until he saw the corners of Sami's mouth lift in a sheepish smile. Then he realized that she hadn't meant that as an insult, but as something vaguely akin to an apology.

"I suppose that's fair if I can accuse you of being the killer," he said with a weak, pained smile. "I'm sorry about that, Samantha, really I am. I know I treated you terribly, but I never really believed that you were capable of murder."

"Then why did you keep accusing me?" Sami demanded softly.

"Why did you keep accusing me? John retorted, and Sami looked away. "I think we both know the answer, Samantha."

For a long, tense moment silence descended upon the office, and then Sami spoke, in a whisper so quiet that he had to strain to hear her.

"You left me..."

"What?" John asked, frowning.

"You left me all alone," Sami said softly, lifting a tearful gaze. "Eric and I loved you, you were our whole world, and you just left us."

Swallowing hard, John felt his own eyes start to sting with tears. "Samantha..."

"When Daddy came back, we were so angry," Sami murmured, disheartened. "We didn't want a new father, we already had one, but then you sent us off to live with complete strangers... you didn't even fight for us."

"I did what I thought was right," John rasped.

"Right for who?" Sami demanded, a spark of anger lighting in her eyes as she bolted to her feet. "Not for you, and certainly not for me and Eric. You were the only father we'd ever known, and you gave us away, John!"

"Do you think it was easy for me?" John croaked angrily, his throat burning as the emotions twisted painfully inside of him. "Do you think that I didn't wake up every morning tempted to just grab the two of you and run? Take you somewhere far away from Salem where Isabella and I could keep you all to ourselves?"

"Then why didn't you?" Sami cried, sounding more like a child than he'd witnessed in years.

"Because it wouldn't have been right," John explained, his voice breaking. "It wasn't your parents' fault that they weren't there, Samantha. It wasn't their fault, and it wasn't yours. How could I take you away from them, from Roman, after I'd already taken his whole life from him?"

"Then you should have asked for joint custody!" Sami shrieked, and it was hard to tell if the tears streaming down her cheeks were of sorrow or anger, but the pain behind them was unmistakable. "Or at the very least, you should have asked for visitations. But instead you just walked out on us. You left and never looked back, at least not until you decided that you wanted Mom back, but not us. After all, what did you need Eric and I for? You had Brady and then you had Belle, you replaced us."

"No," John insisted, a little sharper than he'd meant to, pushing his chair back and rising to his feet. He softened his tone before continuing, "I could never replace my twinners."

His old nickname for them, which had always brought smiles from the twins as children, caused Sami to break down into sobs, and he took a step towards her, reaching for her, but she drew back violently, backing up against the door of his office.

"Do you know why I fight so hard and so dirty to hold onto the men in my life?" she demanded hysterically. "Do you? It's because of you!"

John swallowed past the lump that rose up in his throat at her words, his heart wrenching at the sight of her red cheeks as tears seared their way down her face, her arms wrapping around herself as her shoulders shook in a turbulent frenzy.

"Because you made me feel like I wasn't wanted, like I wasn't good enough," she half-sobbed, half-yelled accusingly. "I used to cry myself to sleep at night, and Eric would get into my bed with me and we'd just hold each other as we cried, because we were in a strange house with people we didn't know who wanted us to call them Mom and Dad, and all we wanted was to go home! To you!"

"Samantha, peanut-" he pleaded, his voice thick with emotion, placing his hand on her arm.

"Don't touch me," she raged, tears streaking down her cheeks as she lunged towards him, fists flying. "And don't you dare call me that. You don't have the right!"

John caught her arms before she could hit him, holding her in a tight grip, but trying hard not to let it be a painful one. "I gave you that name, Samantha," he reminded her sharply. "Not Roman. Because you were my daughter first. I love you and I love Eric!"

"You never loved us," Sami screamed at him, struggling in his grasp. "You never loved us, you didn't! If you'd even cared about us, you wouldn't have just left us all alone!"

"I made a mistake," John rasped, his voice hitching on that confession. "I made lots of mistakes when it came to you kids, Samantha. If I could take them back, I would."

"Shut up!" Sami was trembling fiercely, her pain exposed in her furious tears and her angry, grief-stricken sobs. "You didn't love us! You didn't love me!"

"You know damn well that I did," John growled, shaking her by the arms. "Or it wouldn't have hurt you so badly when I left."

"Why didn't you stay?" she demanded hoarsely. "Why weren't we good enough? Why...?"

She collapsed against his chest, her shoulders shaking, and John swallowed hard, lifting his arms to wrap them around her as he rested his chin atop her head. "It wasn't you, baby," he promised her, his voice raw with pain. "I told you, I made mistakes. It was my fault, I messed up. I'm the one who wasn't good enough, who didn't try hard enough. And I'm sorry, Samantha. I'm so, so sorry..."

John closed his eyes, letting his tears fall onto her golden hair, and just held her as close as he could, unconsciously rocking them both in a slow, soothing rhythm. He really hadn't understood just what his leaving had done to her and Eric until now, how much pain and misery it had caused them, how confused and lonely they must have been.

Or maybe he just hadn't wanted to see it.

Because in truth, it was easier not to know. It had been a terrible ordeal for him to discover he wasn't Roman Brady after all, that his entire life for the past decade had been a lie, but the pain of losing his identity and his family, the only parents he'd ever known and his hotheaded little brother, didn't compare to losing his children.

And so when Roman forbade him to play any role in the twins' lives, because he could not stand for them to love another father more than him, John hadn't fought it. He'd told himself that he understood, that he would feel the same in Roman's shoes and that is was the right thing to do, but part of him had even been relieved, because being near the twins, seeing another man playing catch with Eric and dancing with Sami, had just been too hard.

Only his actions, or inactions as it was, had inflicted serious emotional and psychological pain on the children he still loved as his own, and that knowledge left a vile taste in his mouth.

_Samantha's right, _John thought in disgust._ I should have fought for them. I should have done whatever I had to in order to stay in their lives. _

As he held her, overwhelmed with shame and bitter regret, Sami's shaking sobs began to subside, and he heard small sniffles coming from the front of his shirt, where her face was still buried. Not daring to speak, less he break the tentative peace in the room, he simply stroked the back of her hair gently while she struggled to compose herself.

After a few moments, Sami drew away from him, furiously wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand. "God, why can't I go a day without crying lately?" she muttered darkly, her irritation visible in her flushed expression. "I'm like a damn leaky faucet!"

"Samantha..." John began.

Sami held up a hand, silencing him. "Don't," she begged wearily. "Just let me do what I came here to do before I lose my nerve, okay?"

John nodded wordlessly, taking a small step back to give her breathing room.

"I didn't just come here to talk about work," Sami confessed quietly, rubbing her temples. "I also came here because I've realized something in the past few weeks."

"What's that?"

"That I don't want to be miserable anymore," Sami answered seriously. "I don't want to be angry. I want to move on with my life, make a new start with Lucas and Will, but I can't do that unless I make peace with you first. Because whatever we are to each other now, you were my father for the first stretch of my life, and you were the first man in my life that mattered."

"And you've always mattered in mine," John told her softly.

"I know," Sami replied, and her omission startled him. "Deep down, some part of me has always known that. And I know you love me, it's just that I've been carrying around all of this anger and resentment for so long and then you were pushing too close to it... and I just snapped."

"Understandable," John said gruffly. "I've really hurt you, Samantha, and I'm sorry. I know that I let you and Eric down."

"It's not just you," Sami sighed, shaking her head. "Lately I've just been so... unbalanced. It's like every emotional filter I've built up over the past decade has just come crumbling down. I'm angry with my father, too, probably angry than I ever was with you, but he's not here for me to yell at to, say all the things I've needed to say for so long, so I just sort of vented all of my frustrations onto you."

"It's okay," John assured her.

"No, don't say that," Sami insisted stubbornly. "Don't give me an excuse to treat you like that, because it's too easy to fall back into that pattern. I'm too comfortable with the anger and the hate, and if I continue on like that, it's going to destroy me."

John pressed his lips together in silent agreement, having long thought the very same thing about the violent storm of emotions bottled up inside of her. "So what are you saying?" he asked.

Sami took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. "I'm saying I can't make any promises," she replied quietly. "But I'm willing to try and let go of the past if you are, because the thing is..." she trailed off, swallowing, before continuing. "The thing is, I sort of need you in my life and I'm sick of pretending that I don't."

"Oh, Samantha," John sighed, his shoulders sagging in relief as he reached out for her, and this time she didn't resist as he pulled her into his arms. He wanted to tell her that he needed her and Eric in his life, that he always had, that she didn't know how deeply it had hurt to have all that bitterness grow between them, but he couldn't seem to find his voice.

And so he simply closed his eyes and savored the fact that his little girl, his daughter, was not only letting him hug her, but she was hugging him back.

"I still love you," Sami whispered, and John's heart surged into his throat at those words, the words that he'd so desperately longed to hear for what seemed like a lifetime.

"I love you, too, Samantha," he murmured, pressing a kiss into her hair. "So much."

They clung to each other for a long moment, and then Sami pulled back, laughing softly as she wiped at her eyes yet again. "God, I swear this is all Lucas' fault. Ever since last night I've been a sappy, weeping mess."

"Do you love him?" John inquired, and the way her pale blue eyes lit up gave him all the answer he needed.

"I think I always have," Sami replied ruefully. "I was just too stubborn to realize it."

"Well, then, I'm glad you finally came to your senses," John informed her with a small smile.

"It's good to see you happy again."

"It's good to be happy again," Sami retorted, shaking her head as if she couldn't quite believe it herself. "For the first time in a long, long time, I feel like my life is starting to make sense again."

"Does that mean you're going to take the job offer?" John asked expectantly.

"Are you sure you want to give it to me?" Sami responded skeptically.

"I'm sure," John answered evenly. "If you're up to it, how about we sit down and discuss the details of the job description, the salary and benefits, over lunch?"

Sami hesitated, glancing at the clock. "It's only half past ten," she observed.

"There are benefits to being the boss," John informed her with a small smirk. "Nobody can tell me how long a lunch break I get or when to take it. What do you say, Samantha?"

"Can I take a rain check?" Sami asked, biting her lip. "It's been a long morning already and I just think I need some time to let everything sink in, you know?"

"That's fine," John assured her, trying to hide his disappointment.

"Maybe we could do lunch tomorrow instead?" Sami suggested cautiously.

"I'd like that," John told her. "How about you meet me here at noon and we'll go to the Penthouse Grille?"

"Okay," Sami agreed, nodding. "That sounds good." They stood in awkward silence for a moment, then Sami gestured towards the door. "I should let you get back to work."

"Drive carefully," John instructed.

"You sound like Lucas," Sami muttered, scrunching up her nose in annoyance. "Just because I had a few wrecks when I was younger doesn't mean I'm a horrible driver."

Wisely, John kept his mouth shut and she headed for the door, opening it to leave, then pausing and looking back over her shoulder.

"John?"

"Yeah, sweetheart?"

"I missed you," Sami murmured.

"I missed you, too, peanut," John replied, and the smile that touched his lips remained there long after she had disappeared from his office.


	27. Chapter 27

**Matters of the Heart**

**Chapter Twenty-Seven:  
**

"I know that look."

"What look?"

"_That_ look," Philip Kiriakis said, gesturing at his older brother with his fork. "That blissfully content and smug little look you do. And I know what it means, too."

"Oh, really?" Lucas asked dryly. "Do tell."

"It means that you got laid last night," Philip announced, and the slow, self-satisfied smirk that tugged at the corners of Lucas' mouth told him he was right. "So you finally got Sami into bed, huh? Good for you, man."

"Ah, but it's better than that," Lucas replied, his smirk turning into a genuine smile of happiness. "She told me she loves me."

"Am I supposed to be surprised?" Philip asked, arching an eyebrow as he took a sip of his drink. "It's obvious how she feels about you, man. I'm surprised the two of you didn't jump each other a long time ago."

Lucas snorted, shaking his head in amusement. "Better not let Sami hear you referring to it like that. And for the record, while I didn't ever 'jump' Sami in the past, I will admit that I certainly thought about it."

"I bet," Philip said with a grin. "Imagine how much easier all that custody mess would have been if the two of you had just hooked up."

"Yeah, and Mom would have had a heart attack," Lucas pointed out, grimacing at the thought of their mother.

"Any idea what to do about her?" Philip asked sympathetically, knowing that Kate would do everything in her power to keep Sami and Lucas apart, even at the cost of Lucas and Will's happiness. He really didn't understand how his mother could profess to only want what's best for her kids and then turn around ignore what it is they want.

"Not a clue," Lucas sighed. "I promised Sami I would find a way to get Mom off her back, though. We have enough issues to work through on our own without Mom meddling every step of the way."

"You certainly haven't had an easy road to get where you are now," Philip agreed. "Maybe Mom will see how happy Sami makes you and back off."

Lucas gave him an incredulous look that clearly asked what he had been drinking to come to that conclusion.

"Yeah, scratch that," Philip muttered. "Well, maybe you shouldn't tell Mom you and Sami are together just yet. Give it some time, let her focus on something else for a while... allow yourself and Sami some peace and quiet before all hell breaks loose."

"You have a point," Lucas responded grimly. "On the other hand, I don't really like the idea of hiding my relationship with Sami and I know she won't either."

"So I guess now she's going to get around to signing those annulment papers, huh?" Philip asked, taking a bite of his cheeseburger.

"Actually," Lucas said, his face lighting up like a kid on Christmas morning. "She already did."

"She did?"

"Yeah." Lucas nodded, a small smile crossing his lips. "She mailed Brandon his copy last fall, the day that Cassie was found murdered."

"Wow," Philip blinked, ignoring the twisting in his stomach at the mention of their deceased half-sister. "I had no idea she'd signed them already."

"Neither did I," Lucas admitted. "I brought it up this morning, so she got out of bed and went over to her desk and brought back a folder with her copy of the papers. I asked her why she didn't tell me about it before, and she said that she was just waiting for the right time. She didn't want me to know that she had done it because of me."

There was none of the cockiness Philip would have expected from his big brother in that last sentence, just a quiet sense of relief and a touch of wonder, as if he was still dazed that Sami's feelings for him had led her to cut all ties with Brandon months ago.

"You're a lucky man, Lucas," Philip informed him. "Beautiful woman, beautiful son... you've done well for yourself."

"Thank you," Lucas replied with a smile. "So how about yo, little bro? Any prospects on the horizon?"

"None at all," Philip muttered. "My love life sucks, man. Every girl I want is taken by one of my relatives."

Lucas' brow furrowed in confusion. "I know Brady stole Chloe, but...?"

"Belle," Philip explained begrudgingly.

"Huh..." Lucas mused, taking a sip of his lemonade. "Didn't have her pegged for your type."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Philip bristled.

"Nothing, just that Belle's a bit... well... innocent?" Lucas replied, shrugging his shoulders. "She's like the little girl in the front row at school who answers every question, cleans the erasers for the teacher, and snitches on you for throwing spitballs during class."

"As opposed to Sami," Philip drawled. "Who steals your crayons to write graffiti on the wall and then blame it on you."

"Hey."

"Sorry."

"Actually, that's a pretty fair assessment," Lucas conceded with a chuckle.

"Look," Philip began. "I know Belle is... whiny and shallow, I do, but she can also be really sweet, and there's just something about her innocence that I find attractive."

"But she's with Shawn," Lucas said knowingly.

"Yeah," Philip sighed heavily. "But she's with Shawn."

They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, eating their lunch, and Lisa came by their table to refill their drinks before heading off to attend to the rest of the Pub's customers.

Lucas' cell phone rang, and he answered it to talk to his sister Jenn about what time he was going to pick up Will from her house this afternoon, so Philip took advantage of the distraction to think some things over.

It was true, Belle wasn't the kind of girl he normally dated, and she could definitely be annoying at times, but she was pretty and sweet and... well, normal. She didn't have a history of getting into trouble or causing scenes, and she'd certainly never been a suspect in a serial killing investigation. He liked Sami, he really did, she was fiery and impassioned, all the things that he'd always thought a woman should be, but what really attracted him to Belle was that the two sisters were complete opposites.

_Oh my God,_ Philip realized with a start. _I want Belle because she's the kind of girl Mom wants me to have. _

"Yeah, okay, Jenn, see you then," Lucas said into his phone, then ended the call and returned the cell phone to his pocket. "I should have asked Sami what we're going to tell Will. I could hear him in the background telling Jenn to ask me if Sami and I got together yet or not."

"Tell him the truth, minus the sex part," Philip replied.

"We might as well tell him that we did sleep together," Lucas snorted. "He'll probably be able to tell just by looking at us or something."

"That's crazy, man," Philip said, trying not to laugh.

"I'm telling you, that kid is entirely too perceptive," Lucas insisted. "It's scary what he picks up on that no one else does."

"He's probably the only kid that wants to think about his parents having sex," Philip retorted. "Because it means he gets his family back together again. The rest of us try not to go there in order to preserve our sanity."

"Hey, at least you never heard sounds coming from Victor and Mom's room," Lucas informed him, and they shared a collective shudder. "That was traumatizing."

"I don't even want to know," Philip told him with a grimace.

"Yeah, it wasn't..." Lucas trailed off as the front door jingled, and a dark look crossed his face. "Speak of the devil."

Twisting around in his chair, Philip spotted their mother entering the Pub, a furious scowl on her face, and he winced in dread. "You don't think she found out about you and Sami, do you?" he hissed as Kate stormed towards them.

"God, I hope not," Lucas muttered under his breath. He forced a smile as she approached their table, though, feigning surprise. "Mom, what are you doing here?"

"Sami Brady is a lying, manipulative bitch!" Kate seethed, looming over their table with her hands on her hips. "You would not believe what she did this morning!"

_Oh, Sami, you didn't,_ Philip thought with a groan. _There's no way you went and rubbed it in Mom's face that you and Lucas had sex... _

"What did she do, Mom?" Lucas asked apprehensively.

"That little tramp cried her crocodile tears and put on a little show for John," Kate growled, clenching her fist around a piece of paper. "And do you know what she tricked him into doing? Do you?"

"No," Lucas replied calmly, trying to hide his amusement. "But I'm sure you're going to tell us."

"She tricked him into giving her a promotion, that's what," Kate shrieked angrily, thrusting the piece of paper under Lucas' nose. Philip looked from his brother to his mother as Lucas scanned the paper and Kate tapped her foot impatiently, almost trembling with outrage, as if she was about to explode.

"Wow," Lucas whistled when he finished reading. "That's great."

"Great?" Kate echoed incredulously. "How can you say that, Lucas!"

"I can say that because it means that Sami has a better job with a better office so she's not down in that dungy basement cell you gave her," Lucas retorted, handing her the paper back. "And she'll also be getting better pay, which means that between her paycheck and my salary with the Horton Foundation, Will can have whatever he needs."

"Oh, that is just like you to defend her!" Kate snarled.

"There's nothing to defend," Lucas cried in exasperation. "Sami didn't do anything wrong, Mom. John gave her the promotion, so if you have a problem with it, maybe you should go complain about it to him instead."

"It's no use," Kate snapped heatedly. "John's a fool and Sami's going to take advantage of him at every turn. He can't see her for what she really is because he thinks she's still the little girl he raised deep down, but he needs to wake up and realize that sweet kid is dead, and Sami Brady is pure evil."

"Yeah, okay, Mom," Lucas said, rolling his eyes. "Whatever."

"Don't you 'whatever' me, young man," Kate warned.

"I'm an adult, Mom, that doesn't work anymore," Lucas informed her calmly. "And I don't see why you're so worked up about this anyway. You and Sami don't have to work together any longer. Isn't that a good thing?"

"That's not the point," Kate cried angrily. "Besides, Sami is hardly qualified for this job."

"I don't know," Philip commented casually, snatching a fry off of his plate. "I heard she did a pretty good job when she worked at Titan."

"Oh God, not my baby, too," Kate groaned. "What has that bitch done to my boys?"

"First of all, Mom," Philip replied evenly. "I'm not a baby, I'm in my twenties. Second of all, that 'bitch' is the mother of my nephew, and probably my future sister-in-law."

"Oh my God!" Kate screeched, whirling on Lucas with a furious scowl. "Don't you dare even think about making a move on Sami, do you hear me? She's doesn't want you and she certainly doesn't love you, Lucas! All she wants to do is destroy you to get back at me!"

"Not everything is about you, Mom," Lucas pointed out tightly. "And whatever happens between me and Sami is no one's business but ours, and maybe Will's. My family is none of your concern."

"Family?" Kate scoffed. "You don't have a family, Lucas, you have a deathtrap. And one day you are going to wake up and realize what a mistake it is to let Sami Brady get close to you, because she is going to be the death of you!"

"Mom, we've been through this," Lucas told her shortly. "Mind your own business. All your scheming to get Sami out of my life is only going to put a strain on your relationship with me. I love Sami-"

"You do not love that bitch!" Kate shouted, so loud that other patrons looked at them in surprise. "Sami Brady is nothing but a cheap slut who's out to ruin us both, and if you are too stupid to see her for what she really is, then..."

"Then what, Kate?"

_Oh, crap,_ Philip thought with a groan as Marlena Evans Black walked towards their table, having entered the Pub in the middle of his mother's tirade. Sami's mother's expression was calm and clear, but there was something threatening in the woman's eyes as she came to a halt directly in front of Kate.

"Marlena," Kate said, her eyes widening. "I... didn't know you were here."

"Clearly," Marlena replied coldly. "Roman would be horrified if he could hear you speaking about our daughter, his little girl, in such a hateful manner. He's lucky to be dead, rather than married to the likes of you."

Kate drew back as if she'd just been slapped, her face going pale, and Philip had to bite his tongue to keep from coming to his mother's defense. Even Lucas looked taken aback by Marlena's harsh demeanor, but Philip supposed that with all of the stress Belle's mother had been under lately, hearing her oldest daughter being slammed was just the last straw.

"Stay out of my daughter's life, Kate," Marlena warned darkly. "Or you'll live to regret it."

Without another word, she turned on her heel and walked out of the Pub, leaving the three of them in shocked silence and the rest of the people eating in the Pub whispering amongst themselves.

Lucas was the first to speak, shaking his head in disbelief. "What was that all about?"

"Who knows," Philip replied. "Menopause?"

The corner of Lucas' mouth lifted in amusement, but he didn't reply. Instead, he turned to their mother, placing a hand on her arm. "Mom?" he asked gently. "You okay?"

"What do you care?" Kate snarled, jerking her arm away from him.

"I care because you're my mother," Lucas answered evenly. "And what Marlena said about Roman was cruel."

"This is all Sami's fault!" Kate exploded angrily. "She's turning everyone against me! First my sons, then John, and now Marlena, too! I won't let that bitch get away with this!"

She stalked off out the door before anyone could say anything, and Lucas sighed wearily as she left.

"I feel for you, man," Philip told him seriously.

"Thanks," Lucas muttered, looking down at his plate. "Suddenly I've lost my appetite."

"If you want to bail, you can," Philip assured him. "After that, I understand if you want to go home."

"No, that's okay," Lucas replied, shaking his head. "I have to pick up Will in a few hours, and Sami had plans to spend some time with Belle this afternoon. I think they were going shopping or something. So I'd much rather hang out with my favorite kid brother right now."

"I'm your only kid brother," Philip pointed out wryly. "Well, and Rex."

"True," Lucas conceded. "But you're my favorite brother period, with Mike in a close second followed by Rex."

"And Austin in dead last?" Philip asked knowingly.

"I don't claim him at all if I can help it," Lucas retorted, taking a long sip of his drink.

"He was there for you after your coma," Philip reminded him.

"And he treated Sami like crap while he professed to be in love with her," Lucas shot back, annoyed. "Not to mention that he actually believed I was capable of hitting my own son."

"All I know is, you're a bigger man that I am, Lucas," Philip responded. "I'm not sure I could forgive Sami if I were in your shoes."

"I've done things just as bad to her," Lucas said grimly. "And so has Mom. So the way I see it, Sami and I are even, and all of that is in the past. We're starting over with a clean slate, and this time we're not going to let anything come between us."

"I hope not, man," Philip remarked. "I know how much Will wants you two together, and I've seen how much you love Sami. As long as you guys are happy, that's all I care about."

"Too bad Mom can't see it that way," Lucas sighed heavily.

"She'll come around someday," Philip ventured optimistically. "And if not, well, you don't have to invite her to the wedding."

Lucas snorted. "With our luck, we'd be better of just eloping to Vegas."

"Sounds fair to me," Philip agreed with a chuckle. "But if you do, I get to come along as a witness, okay?"

"Sure," Lucas replied, smirking. "But don't think you'll be able to slip off to the casino afterwards, you'd be stuck watching Will for our wedding night."

"That's fine by me," Philip retorted. "Will's a master at blackjack."

Lucas raised an eyebrow. "Do I even want to know?"

"Probably not," Philip admitted ruefully.

"Just don't let Sami find out you're teaching our son how to play cards, okay?" Lucas requested, rubbing his forehead.

"Trust me, that's not a problem," Philip assured him wryly. "I don't have a death wish."


	28. Chapter 28

**Matters of the Heart**

**Chapter Twenty-Eight:**

"Hi, Mom!"

Throwing down his bag on the couch, Will Roberts scurried into the kitchen and hugged his mother. Sami smiled down at him, leaning over to kiss his hair, and he made a face, pretending to be annoyed, but the truth was he didn't really mind when she did that, he just had to act like he did because he was a boy.

"Hey, little man," Sami said. "Did you have fun at your Aunt Jenn's?"

"Yeah," Will replied with a grin. "Abby and I taught her to make s'mores in the fireplace the way you make them for us. We had a blast."

"Good," Sami told him. "I'm glad to hear it."

"How about you?" Will asked innocently. "Did you and Dad have fun last night?"

He didn't miss the way his mother's cheeks flushed, or the tender look that passed between his parents, and Will grinned triumphantly._ Looks like my plan worked after all,_ he thought in satisfaction. _Mom and Dad had sex. _

Abby so owed him five dollars.

"Uh, yeah," Lucas cleared his throat. "Your Mom and I had a great time, buddy. Didn't we, Sami?"

"Yeah," Sami agreed, a tad breathless. "We did."

Will smirked, giving his father a conspiratorial look. "I bet you did."

This time both of his parents looked embarrassed, so he decided to give them a break and change the subject, for now.

"So what's for dinner?" he asked eagerly. "I'm starving."

"Actually, I ordered pizza a while ago," Sami replied quickly. "It should be here any minute."

"Cool," Will said, nodding in approval. "Thanks, Mom, you know I love it when we have pizza."

"Yes, I do," Sami agreed, glancing over at his father anxiously. "Um... Will, sweetie, your Dad and I need to talk to you about something."

"Okay," Will responded slowly.

"Why don't we have a seat on the couch, buddy?" Lucas suggested, guiding them all over to the sofa. It didn't escape Will's attention that his parents sat close together, their thighs touching, a united front if he ever saw one.

Although he was a bit worried that he might be in trouble for something, at least he knew that they weren't going to give him any bad news about their relationship. "What did you guys want to talk about?" he inquired.

"We just wanted to keep you in the loop, as far as family matters go, that's all, sweetie," Sami said gently. "There's going to be a few things changing around here, and we wanted to talk about them with you before anything happens."

"Like what?" Will asked in confusion.

"Well, for starters I got a new job today," Sami answered.

"You're not working for Granddad John anymore?" Will frowned.

"No, baby, I'm still working at Basic Black," Sami assured him. "It's just that John gave me a promotion, so now I'm going to be working different hours and my office will be right down the hall from your Aunt Belle's office. You remember where her office is, don't you?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"I'm starting on Monday," Sami informed him. "So because your Dad and I won't be home until five, your Aunt Jenn has agreed to keep you over at her house after school. That way you and Abby can play video games and do your homework or whatever until your Dad or I can come pick you up."

"Is that okay with you, buddy?" Lucas asked.

"Yeah, it's fine," Will said with a shrug. "I like hanging out with Abby, and Aunt Jenn is pretty cool for an adult."

In truth, Jennifer Deveraux was probably his favorite aunt, and the crazy thing was he had quite a few of them. Aunt Carrie lived in Israel with Uncle Mike, so he didn't see her very often, and Aunt Billie lived in Europe, so she wasn't around much, either, but Aunt Belle still lived in Salem. As much fun as she was, sometimes she reminded him of the girls in the movie_ Clueless_ that Abby loved to watch.

"Oh, and we aren't, huh?" Lucas demanded playfully.

Will rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean, Dad."

"Notice the way he avoided answering the question," Lucas commented to Sami with a wink.

"That's because he doesn't have the heart to tell you how uncool you are," Sami retorted, her blue eyes twinkling.

"Funny, sweetheart," Lucas drawled. "Like you're so much cooler than I am."

"Hey, Will's friends think I'm cool," Sami protested. "Don't they Will?"

"Yes," Will answered truthfully. _Cool and crazy,_ he added to himself, knowing better than to tell his mother that the other parents at school gossiped about her recklessness and his father's alcoholism, and that his friends always wondered what insane stunt she would pull next.

"They're preteen boys, Sami," Lucas said sarcastically, giving her a pointed look. "Of course they like you, you're a sexy woman."

"Way too much information," Will cried, covering his ears. "Are you trying to scar me for life, Dad? Geez."

"Sorry, buddy," Lucas apologized with a chuckle. "But you have to agree, your Mom is one pretty lady."

"Well, of course she is," Will retorted. "She's Mom!"

His mother gave him an adoring look, and for a moment he thought she was going to kiss his face all over the way she did whenever he said or did something that she just found 'so precious', but thankfully she restrained herself and just touched a hand to his hair and smiled.

"That's sweet, honey."

Will shrugged, not seeing what the big deal was. "It's the truth, that's all."

"He's right," Lucas agreed with a smile, his dark eyes warm as he gazed over at Sami lovingly. "You're beautiful, Sami."

Sami blushed, looking up at him with a demure smile, and Will snickered to himself, amused at the lovestruck looks on their faces. He certainly hoped they weren't going to look at each other like this in public all the time, it might get embarrassing after a while.

Afraid that if they kept staring at each other like that they would go blind, Will cleared his throat. "Uh, there was something else you wanted to tell me, too, right?"

"Yes," Lucas answered, licking his lips. "Yes, there was. Um, Will, buddy..." he paused, glancing over at Sami. "Your Mom and I are sort of together now. As in we're a couple."

"Yeah, I kind of figured you would be by the time I got home," Will retorted casually, not letting on that he was grinning on the inside. "That's why I stayed the night with Aunt Jenn... to give you some privacy." He eyed them both appraisingly, a small smirk tugging its way onto his lips, then added, "And it looks like it was a good thing I did."

"Will!" Sami cried.

"What?" Will shrugged. "I already took Sex-Ed, remember? It's not a big deal. You're my parents and you love each other, you're supposed to have sex."

"Oh God, Lucas... do something!"

"What?" Lucas demanded with a smirk of his own. "You're the one who said we should put him in those advanced AG classes, remember?"

"Ugh, never mind," Sami groaned, then paused to regain her composure. "The point is, Will, that your Dad and I... well, we love each other."

"I know," Will informed her, unable to keep from smiling at those words. "I've always known that, even before either of you did."

"What, are you clairvoyant or something now, huh, buddy?" Lucas asked dryly. "Sami, better warn Celeste she's about to be out of a job, our boy's going to be the town psychic."

"Ha ha," Will muttered, rolling his eyes. "I'm just saying that you guys don't hide it very well when you stare at each other _all the time._"

"We do not," Sami protested, then raised an eyebrow. "Do we?"

"You have no idea," Will snorted. "It's like something out of a lame soap opera, Mom."

"Yeah, well, your Mom and I aren't lame, Will," Lucas replied. "And we're not some crazy couple from one of those sappy, stupid soaps your Mom watches."

"Hey, _Hours of My Life_ is not stupid," Sami insisted, swatting him in the chest.

"Whatever you say, sweetheart," Lucas responded in amusement. "Can we get back to the subject at hand?"

"Fine," Sami agreed with a mock sigh. "Have it your way."

"I always do with you," Lucas told her with a wink.

"Child present!" Will reminded them sarcastically, and both his father had the decency to give him a rueful smile.

"Right, sorry, buddy," Lucas said, clearing his throat as he became all business again. "Will... how do you feel about me moving in here with you and your Mom?"

Will blinked, startled by that question, because he honestly hadn't thought his parents would come up with that idea on their own, at least not this soon. He and Abby had already been plotting ways to try and get them under the same roof, but it looked like their scheming was for nothing.

"You practically live here already, Dad," he pointed out with a shrug.

"I know," Lucas agreed. "But if I were to move in with you guys, it would be different, you know?"

"Yeah, but different in a good way," Will argued. "I mean, I've always wanted to live with both of you together, and now you're in love, so why shouldn't we be living in the same apartment as a family?"

"You're okay with it, then?"

"Duh! This is, like, every wish I've ever made on birthday candles, shooting stars and coin fountains combined," Will informed them incredulously, shocked that they even had to ask. "The only thing that could make this better was if you were getting married."

"Will, honey," Sami said gently. "Your Dad and I have a lot of stuff to work through, so don't get ahead of yourself, okay?"

"But you guys will get married someday, right?" Will prodded.

"Yeah, buddy, we will," Lucas answered, and Sami looked at him in surprise, her blue eyes going wide, but Lucas kept his gaze on Will. "We're going to be a family, just the three of us, I promise, but we're not quite ready for that step just yet. Understand?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Will agreed. "And I can be patient, I've already had to wait my whole life, so what's another year?"

His parents exchanged a guilty look, as if feeling bad that they had deprived him of a normal, happy family for so long, but thankfully neither of them started to try and apologize for that. He would have hated to have to tell them that he'd been plotting to get them together since he was tiny, it might clue them in on just how sneaky he could really be.

"So when are you going to move in, Dad?" Will asked eagerly.

"Not for another month," Lucas answered, and Will bit his lip to keep his face from showing the crestfallen expression he was sure it was trying to make. "My lease is up then, and your Mom and I talked about it this morning and decided that I should just move in rather than sign a new lease."

"Oh," Will murmured. "Is this a secret?"

"What do you mean, Will?" Sami asked, scrunching up her nose in confusion.

"From Grandma Kate, I mean," Will elaborated. "She'll do anything to break you guys up, and if she knows that Dad's moving in, she might do something crazy."

"Look, buddy, your Grandma..." Lucas began.

"Hates me," Sami finished bluntly, earning a glare from his father. "Well, she does, Lucas, I'm not going to sugarcoat it. Frankly, I'm not too fond of her, either." Lucas opened his mouth to complain, but Sami didn't wait to listen to him, instead turning to look at Will. "Sweetie, your Dad and I love each other and we're not going to let anything or anyone come between us, we promise. So let us worry about your Grandma, okay?"

"Yeah, okay," Will sighed. "I just don't like seeing her always raving about what a horrible person you are, Mom. It makes me mad."

"I know, buddy," Lucas said grimly. "It makes me mad, too. Which is why I'm going to talk to your Grandma about it, okay? I'm going to get her to realize that you, me and your Mom are a family, and that she needs to just accept that."

"And if she doesn't?" Will asked.

Lucas and Sami looked at each other, neither really knowing how to answer that, but luckily for them there was a knock at the door just then, and a muffled voice came from the other side.

"Pizza delivery."

"Coming," Lucas called, standing up and pulling his wallet out of his back pocket as he headed for the door.

While his father was distracted, Will turned back to his mother. "Mom, you know Grandma's not going to accept you and Dad being together. What are we going to do?"

Sami pressed her lips together in a grim line. "I don't know, little man, but don't worry, okay? Your Dad and I will figure something out, I promise. In the meantime, maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea if you didn't go broadcasting our relationship to Grandma Kate, hmm?"

"Yeah," Will agreed begrudgingly. "You're right. I won't say anything to her, I promise."

"Good," Sami replied, reaching over to ruffle his hair fondly. "Let's go grab some of that pizza before your Dad eats it all."

"Like you're one to talk," Lucas drawled, closing the door and crossing the room towards the kitchen with the pizza box in hand. "The last time we got pizza, I saw you eat four slices yourself, honey."

"And how many did you eat, General?" Sami retorted, rising to her feet and heading into the kitchen behind him. "Ten?"

"There's only twelve pieces in a box, Mom," Will pointed out as he followed her.

"The way you two eat, we should start ordering the extra large," Sami muttered under her breath, opening a cabinet to grab plates and glasses. "Lucas, there's some soda in the refrigerator, will you get it?"

"Sure," Lucas agreed, setting the box down on the table.

Will lifted the lid of the box, letting the smell of the hot pepperoni pizza waft up into the room, and his stomach growled. _Guess I didn't eat enough cereal for breakfast at Aunt Jenn's, _he thought with a shrug. _Oh, well. _

His parents returned to the table at the same time and his mother began to put pizza on all of their plates while his father poured their drinks. Will didn't think he would ever stop being grateful for moments like these, where they were just like every other family, especially when in the past such moments had been so rare. As a little boy, he had saved and cataloged every fleeting moment of family time that he'd shared with them, always hungering for more and not understanding why they couldn't be like that all the time.

But now that his parents were together, he was certain that nothing could ruin their happiness, not even Grandma Kate.

_I know I promised to stay out of it, Mom, _Will thought grimly. _But if Grandma tries anything... she'll have to deal with me. _

"Here you go, buddy," Lucas announced, passing him a glass of soda. "Sami, here's yours."

"Thank you," Sami responded with a small smile and handed him a plate. "Here's your pizza."

Will accepted his plate from her and sat down, taking a bite, as he watched his parents smiling at each other. "You know," he said slyly. "Since you guys are together now, why don't you give Mom a kiss, Dad?"

"You know, buddy, that's not a bad idea," Lucas replied thoughtfully, turning towards Sami. "Come here, gorgeous."

Sami blushed faintly, but allowed him to take her in his arms, gazing up at him with a trusting smile. "Go ahead, General, wow me."

"Mission accepted," Lucas murmured before dipping his head down to capture her lips in a slow, tender kiss, one hand going to her hair while the other cupped her cheek. As soon as Sami's arms snaked up around his neck, Will turned away to give them some privacy, and grinned to himself.

He couldn't wait to call Abby as soon as his parents disappeared later so that he could tell her the good news. Maybe he'd even tell Aunt Jenn and Great-Gran Alice, they were both rooting for his parents to get together, too.

After another few seconds, his parents separated, leaving a sappy look on his mother's face and a smirk on his father's. "There," Lucas said, sounding quite pleased with himself. "Happy now, Will?"

"Yeah," Will answered with a broad smile. "I am. Aren't you guys?"

His parents exchanged a soft look, and it was his mother who answered, a beautiful smile on her face. "Yeah, I think we finally are."


	29. Chapter 29

**Matters of the Heart**

**Chapter Twenty-Nine: **

A loud knock at the door to his loft was what woke Rex up from a rather pleasant dream about Mimi, a coconut bikini and a deserted tropical island.

Growling low in his throat, and vowing that if whoever was on the other side of that door didn't have a life or death reason for disturbing him, there would be hell to pay, he swung his legs over the side of the couch and stalked across the living room in his boxers and threw open the door irritably.

"What do you...?" he began shortly, then trailed off when he saw who it was.

"Hi," Sami Brady said, taking in his half-naked appearance with little more than a raised eyebrow. "Do you usually answer the door dressed, or should I say undressed, like that?"

"No," Rex grumbled, feeling rather embarrassed. "Excuse me."

Leaving the door open so that she could come inside if she wanted, he hurried back to his bedroom and grabbed his jeans off of the bed, tugging them on, and scrounged through his dresser drawer until he found a t-shirt to slip on.

_What is Sami doing here?_ he wondered as he headed back out to the living room.

He wasn't all that surprised to find that the door to the loft was now closed, and Sami was sitting on the couch, flipping through one of the girly magazines that either Belle or Mimi had left over at some point. Rex paused at the edge of the room, watching her, and tried to figure out just why she was here, after all, it wasn't like Sami had ever actually come to see him.

Although, there was that one time that she'd dropped by to give Shawn some food that Grandpa Shawn had sent over, but still, it wasn't like she'd come to see Rex.

"Are you going to just stand there?" Sami asked loudly, without looking up from her magazine.

Bristling, Rex made his way into the room, taking a seat in the leather recliner across from her. "Make yourself at home, Sami," he said flatly. "Can I get you something to drink?"

"I'm on my way to the Pub for a Brady family lunch, thanks," his half-sister informed him, placing her magazine aside and gave him a tolerating look. "And you really need to work on your hosting skills, Rex."

"I'm sorry, I was raised in a lab, remember?" Rex pointed out sarcastically. "I suppose I should have asked Stefano to teach us proper manners."

Sami tried not to laugh, but a short giggle escaped her lips anyway and Rex frowned. "Sorry," she said in between laughs. "I just had a ridiculous mental image of Stefano teaching you and Cassie the proper table settings for tea parties."

The mention of his twin sister, spoken so casually in passing, caused Rex's heart to wrench painfully at the reminder that Cassie was gone forever. They had been two halves of one whole their entire lives, bound to one another from the moment they were conceived, and it seemed inconceivably wrong that they had been separated in such a manner.

But Cassie was dead just the same, and he was left to go on living without her.

"I'm sorry," Sami said softly, and he looked up to see her staring at him with a genuinely remorseful expression. "I wasn't trying to... I didn't mean to remind you of her." She looked down at her hands miserably. "I'm sorry."

And the funny thing was, he knew that she was.

Even though he couldn't see her face, her golden hair had fallen like a veil to shield her from view, he could almost _sense_ her regret, her own sadness- similar to the way he'd always been able to sense Cassie's emotions.

_That's strange,_ he thought to himself, but he didn't dwell on it for long. He supposed that since they were siblings and both twins, even of two different sets, that his connection with Sami was probably just stronger because of it.

Still, it unnerved him a bit to think that if he could read her that easily, then she could probably read him, as well.

"It's okay," he found himself saying, before he even realized he was going to say it. "It's been a few months..."

"But you still miss her," Sami finished knowingly. "I'm sorry, Rex. I know how much she meant to you, I know how close you were."

"Yeah," Rex conceded quietly. "I guess you do."

He'd often wondered just how Eric Brady could have ever left Salem, could have ever left his twin sister behind, because the thought of moving away from Cassie was unimaginable. If she were still alive, he would never, ever have allowed there to be a greater distance than across town between them.

Being across the country from his twin was out of the question.

_Oh, well, _he thought with a mental shrug._ I'm sure Eric has his reasons for staying away. _And contrary to what he's said to Mimi the previous summer, he didn't really think that Eric and Carrie stayed away from Salem because of Roman.

Although the fact that neither of them had come home for their father's funeral did bug him for some reason. He liked to tell himself that it was just because he was annoyed that they left Sami to deal with it on her own, because he knew how painful it was to lose someone that you loved so much.

When Cassie had been killed, he'd been lost, cold and alone, in a world that suddenly seemed so very desolate and hopeless. Now, though, with Mimi's unconditional love, and the support of their friends, he was starting to move on.

And part of him felt guilty for that.

It was crazy, he knew, because Cassie would want him to heal, just like he would want her to if their roles had been reversed, but he couldn't help feeling that way sometimes.

Shaking his head to clear it of such thoughts, Rex looked up at Sami, who was tapping her fingers on her jean-clad thigh absently. "Uh, did you want to talk to me about something?" he asked, shifting in his chair to break the awkward moment.

"Yes," Sami replied with a small nod of her head. "I did. I... I guess I just wanted to see how you were holding up. I know that you and Tony had a falling out and everything, but he was still a father figure to you and everything..."

"Yeah," Rex agreed, swallowing past the lump in his throat. "He was."

"I know that the whole town remembers him for all the evil things he did, for being a DiMera," Sami commented quietly. "But I think he'd probably like to know that you, at least, remember him for the good father he was to you."

"He wasn't my father, though," Rex murmured sullenly. "Roman Brady was."

"Tony was your father, too," Sami argued gently, but that was passion in her eyes, and he had a feeling she wasn't just talking about his situation. "It's okay to love them both, Rex. You don't have to choose."

"They're both dead," Rex pointed out bitterly. "It's a little late for that."

"It's never too late, Rex," Sami insisted. "And it's not them that matters, it's you. You need to forgive yourself for whatever it is you're keeping bottled up inside of you, so that you can let go and be happy. That's what Tony and Dad would want, for you to be happy."

"Maybe," Rex grunted.

"It's what Cassie would want, too," Sami added softly.

Unable to argue with that, Rex merely pressed his lips together in a tight line, and silence fell over the room for several moments before Sami got uncomfortable and reached over to grab something off of the end-table beside the couch.

"I, um, have something for you," she said, and for the first time he noticed the photo album that she had brought along. "Here."

Rex was silent as he took the book from her slowly, his thumb brushing across the smooth leather surface. He tried to catch Sami's eye, to get some clue as to what was going on, but she was looking down at her hands, avoiding his gaze, and he couldn't help but find her nervousness a little bit endearing.

Tracing his fingers over the gold lettering at the top of the book, which read FAMILY, he felt a rather strange tug at his heart. Even before opening it, he could tell that Sami had put a great deal of effort into his, and that fact alone meant more to him than anything inside of it ever could.

Lifting the cover open, he swallowed hard at what he found on the first page.

A picture of him, Cassie and Marlena, taken back before they'd learned the truth about their parentage, stared back at him. Marlena stood behind the twins, her arms around them, and all three of them were smiling at the camera.

"Mom still loves you," Sami murmured, and he glanced up at her in surprise, but she was fidgeting with her hands in her lap. "I know that Kate is your mother, but Mom still considers you her son."

That was nice to know, because in truth Rex certainly wished that Marlena was his mother instead of Kate Roberts, but he had a feeling that Sami already knew that, so he didn't voice it aloud. Instead, he pondered the fact that his half-sister had actually just spoken her arch-nemesis name without gagging.

Flipping to the next page, his breath caught in his throat at the array of pictures arranged before him. A lot of them were of Roman over the years, but there was also plenty of photos of kids, one little girl in particular catching his eye with her radiant blue eyes and bright smile.

_Sami..._ he mused to himself, deciding that the blond boy next to her had to be the elusive twin Eric, and that the older girl trying to wipe frosting off of Eric's face was most likely Carrie, Roman's eldest child.

As he turned the pages, he found more and more pictures, most of them featuring Roman and the three kids, all of whom grew up with each new photograph, but there were also some of people he recognized. Grandpa Shawn, Caroline Brady, Bo Brady, Shawn... Kim and Kayla Brady, along with their children, whom he had met at Roman's funeral.

_It's a scrapbook of her family,_ Rex realized._ My family... _

"I didn't have any pictures of Tony," Sami told him, tucking a strand of blond hair behind her ear. "So I guess you'll have to add some in there yourself, I left a page or two blank in there for that."

"Thank you," Rex said quietly, and he meant it with all his heart. "Sami, I... I don't know what to say. This is great, I mean that."

"Yeah, well," Sami replied, embarrassed. "I just wanted to do something to... you know."

"Yeah," Rex agreed, the corners of his mouth lifting into a smile. "I do."

"Um, there's... the last page," Sami murmured ruefully, gesturing at the book with her hand.

Turning to the back of the scrapbook, Rex's eyebrows show up in surprise.

The final page of the book was dedicated to the other half of his family, Kate and her children. At the center was a picture of his mother playing with a much younger Will, looking for once like the grandmother she was supposed to be, and scattered around her were pictures of her sons Lucas and Philip, along with another man and a pretty, dark-haired woman, both older than Lucas.

"That's Billie," Sami explained, pointing to the woman. "Will is actually named for her. And this is Austin, your oldest brother."

"This is the guy you were obsessed with for so long?" Rex demanded incredulously. "He looks kind of boring."

"Trust me," Sami muttered, making a face. "He is. I'd like to forget the fact that I ever thought I loved him, if you don't mind. The only bright side to my stupidity was that Carrie ended up with Mike instead, who actually deserves her."

"I thought you didn't like Carrie?" Rex asked in confusion.

"That was a long time ago," Sami answered with a shrug. "Besides," she added, giving him a pointed look. "Once upon a time I didn't like you, either."

Despite himself, Rex smirked, closing the scrapbook. "That's okay, the feeling was completely mutual," he retorted.

Sami laughed softly, and Rex decided that she had a nice laugh, even if it was tinged with regret at the moment. This was the first time he'd actually ever heard her laugh like that, and after seeing how broken she was at Roman's funeral, it made his heart warm a bit to see some of the life had returned to her eyes again.

"I know I haven't exactly been a very good sister to you, Rex, and I'm sorry," Sami apologized seriously. "I really am, and I'm sorry that I wasn't there for Cassie, either, because I should have been."

"We didn't give you any reason to be," Rex pointed out with a shrug.

"Yeah, well, I'm still sorry," Sami replied. "We're... you're my brother, I should have treated you like one."

"I didn't exactly treat you like a sister, either," Rex reminded her. "I did threaten you if you told anyone Roman was my father."

"I remember," Sami said, giving him a slightly annoyed glare. "But that's all... it's in the past, okay? We're not the same people we were last summer, we've both grown up a lot since then. And, well, you were there for me, Rex, when I needed you. After I was attacked, you gave blood and you came to visit me, even though I hadn't treated you very well in the past, and when I felt like I was all alone at Daddy's funeral, even with Lucas and Will there beside me, you held my hand and somehow it just... it just felt like I wasn't so alone, you know?"

"I know," Rex admitted quietly. He'd felt it that day, too, that connection, that trust, and he'd known in that moment that she really and truly was his sister, and not just by blood.

"And, well, it would mean a lot to Dad if we were to actually act like brother and sister every once in a while," Sami continued, wringing her hands unconsciously.

"Yes, it would," Rex agreed evenly.

"So..." Sami took a deep breath and biting her lip. "Can we start over? Make a fresh start and all?"

"I'd like that," Rex told her with a small smile.

"Me, too," Sami said, smiling back. She glanced down at her watch, her nose scrunching up in annoyance. "Ugh, I'm supposed to be at the Pub in ten minutes."

"You'd better get going, then," Rex replied. "You don't want to be late."

"No," Sami agreed, rising to her feet. "I certainly don't." She grabbed her purse off the couch and slung it on over her shoulder, brushing her hair back out of the way. "Grab your coat."

"What?" Rex said, startled.

"I said grab your coat," Sami repeated slowly, as if speaking to a child. "We're going to be late if we don't hurry."

"We?" Rex echoed incredulously.

"Yes, we," Sami retorted shortly. "I said it was a Brady family lunch, didn't I?"

"So?"

"So... you're a Brady, too, aren't you?" Sami demanded expectantly. Rex opened his mouth to object, then closed it, and Sami smirked triumphantly. "Get your coat, Rex."

Sighing, Rex strolled over to the coat rack by the door and grabbed his jacket, slipping it on, then snatched a pen off of the stand and jotted down a note for Mimi in case she stopped by. "Happy?" he asked Sami sarcastically.

"Very," his sister informed him smugly, practically waltzing out the door. "Coming, little brother?"

"Yeah, I'm coming," Rex replied, following her and locking the loft door behind him. "But we're taking my car, not yours. You can pick up your car later."

"Excuse me?" Sami cried indignantly.

"Hey, no offense, Sis," Rex drawled, grabbing her keys out of her hand and tucking them into his pocket. "I may have grown up in a lab, but I've heard enough horror stories about your driving from Shawn and Belle to know better than to get into a car with you behind the wheel."  
Sami's eyes narrowed irritably and she folded her arms over her chest with a scowl. "Oh, you are so lucky I don't still hate you, mister."

"Bring it on," Rex told her wryly. "Besides, it's Shawn and Belle you ought to be annoyed with, not me, I'm just repeating what they told me."

"You know, Belle doesn't even have room to talk," Sami insisted as they headed down the hall.

"She hit a lightpole during her driver's test! And Shawn's had almost as many accidents as I have!"

"So what you're saying is that bad driving runs in the family?" Rex asked.

"Along with being kidnapped, brainwashed, believed dead and then coming back to life, yeah," Sami quipped. "We're a very interesting family, us Bradys. You never know what will happen next when you're around us."

"No," Rex agreed in amusement. "You certainly don't."


	30. Chapter 30

**Matters of the Heart**

**Chapter Thirty: **

"Shawn, honey, could you help me with this?"

Turning to see his mother emerging from the kitchen with a large tray stacked with plates and silverware, Shawn-Douglas Brady hurried over to take it from her.

"Thank you, sweetie," Hope sighed. "Just carry it over to the table, your Dad will set it all out."

"Okay," Shawn replied, and wove his way through the empty tables of the Pub. Normally there would be a good sized lunch crowd in attendance, but his grandfather had decided to close down for the afternoon, so that the Brady family could spend some much needed time together.

_Especially since we don't know which one of us is going to die next, _Shawn thought grimly as he made his way over to the tables that his father had pulled together. The serial killer who seemed to be targeting the Brady and Horton families mostly was still at large, and no one felt entirely safe because of it.

His father and Aunt Kayla were standing off to the side, talking about something or other, but they broke off their conversation as he approached, both reaching out to start unloading the tray for him since he had his hands full.

"Thanks, son," Bo said, grabbing a stack of plates and placing them on the table. "Is the food almost done?"

"Yeah," Shawn answered. "Grandpa said we'll eat as soon as Sami gets here."

"She better hurry then," Kayla commented, nodding her head over at where Andrew was impatiently eyeing his watch. "I don't know how much longer we can fend him off."

"Hey, I'm a growing boy, Aunt Kayla," Andrew reminded her wryly. "And Sami is taking her own sweet time getting here."

"She stopped to pick up something on the way," Shawn told him cryptically, not wanting to reveal that she had gone to try and convince Rex to come to the family lunch in case his cousin had refused. It had been their grandfather's idea to have the family together for an afternoon, and Shawn, Sr. had made a point of commenting that it would be nice to have Rex there with them, so Sami had promised that she would do her best to get him there.

For their grandfather's sake, Shawn hoped she was successful, because he knew that Shawn, Sr., wanted desperately to bring Roman's son into the fold.

Knowing Rex and how stubborn he could be, though, Shawn had his doubts about whether or not he would show today.

"Well, she'd better hurry," Andrew grunted, dropping down into one of the chairs surrounding the table. "I'm starving."

"You're always starving, dear," Kimberly commented, carrying over two large pitcher, one filled with tea and the other with soda.

"He eats like a pig," Jeannie agreed, looking up from the Cosmo magazine that she and their cousin Stephanie were currently flipping through at the other end of the table. "I think he has a bottomless pit for a stomach or something."

Andrew shot his little sister an irritated look, but the jingle of the front door opening cut off whatever remark he was about to make. "About time, Sami," he began, turning in his chair. "What the hell took you so... oh."

"Rex," Shawn said, blinking in surprise. "You came."

"Yeah," Rex replied, shifting awkwardly, and then nodded his head towards Sami as she shrugged off her jacket. "I, uh, I don't think I really had much of a choice in the matter."

"No, you really didn't," his sister informed him evenly, hanging up her coat. "I was prepared to use physical force to get you here if necessary, and believe me, I wouldn't have hesitated to knock you out and drag you here."

"Knowing Sami, she would have enjoyed it," Andrew snickered.

"Not nearly as much as if it had been you I was knocking out," Sami retorted with a smirk, stepping down to join them. "Where's Grandpa?"

"In the kitchen," Bo answered, giving her a kiss on the cheek, then turning to Rex and extending his hand. "Glad you could make it, Rex."

"Thanks," Rex responded hesitantly, shaking his hand. Both Kayla and Kimberly gave him hugs and welcomed him, which clearly left him a little bit uneasy, but Shawn was impressed that Rex didn't pull away.

Deciding to rescue his roommate, Shawn moved forward, clapping Rex on the shoulder. "I was starting to worry that you and Sami had killed each other," he admitted with a rueful grin. "Nice to see that I was wrong."

"I'm not sure I'd be stupid enough to go up against Sami," Rex replied, giving Sami a small smile.

"Speaking of stupid," Sami said, scowling as she folded her arms over her chest and narrowed her ice blue eyes at Shawn. "Exactly what have you been telling Rex about my driving?"

Shawn shot his cousin a dark look. "Traitor," he muttered.

"Why don't you kids have a seat?" Kim suggested. "I'll go help Pop with the food."

"Me, too," Bo said, following her towards the kitchen.

Sami sat down in a chair, leaving a spot for Shawn and Rex on either side of her, and turned her head to look over at Jeannie and Stephanie. "What are you reading?" she asked.

"'Fifty Ways to Know if Your Man is Cheating'," Stephanie announced, holding up the article.

"Doesn't that imply that you need a man first?" Andrew asked with a snicker.

"Shut up, Andrew," Stephanie and Jeannie chorused.

"See what I have to put up with?" Andrew said to Rex.

"Ignore him," Stephanie instructed. "Andrew was dropped on his head as a baby."

"And the sad thing is, that's true," Shawn informed Rex, nodding sadly. "Carrie dropped him."

"It was an accident," Sami defended her absent half-sister.

"Sure it was," Shawn snickered.

"What are you kids talking about?" Hope asked, overhearing the last bit of the conversation.

"How Carrie dropped Andrew on his head when he was a baby," Jeannie answered with a grin.

"That was an accident," Hope agreed with Sami.

Shawn rolled his eyes, but no one bothered to argue with his mother since Shawn, Sr., had just come into the room with the coffee pot in hand.

"Grandpa," Sami called brightly, rising to her feet to hug him once he'd handed off the coffee to Hope.

"Ah, Samantha, dear," Shawn, Sr., replied, kissing her on the cheek. "Thank you for coming."

"I brought you a surprise, too," Sami announced, gesturing to Rex.

"So I noticed," Shawn, Sr., said evenly, and Rex stood, extending his hand, but their grandfather would have none of it and pulled him into a hearty embrace. "It does me good to see you here, my boy. To see all of you."

"I'm glad to be here, sir," Rex responded, and Shawn suspected that he really meant that.

"Call me Grandpa," Shawn, Sr., instructed, gently but firmly. "No grandson of mine need be calling me 'sir'."

"Okay," Rex agreed with a faint smile. "Grandpa."

Shawn, Sr., smiled broadly, clapping him on the shoulder. "My Roman would be proud to see you here today."

"Thanks," Rex murmured, looking more embarrassed than anything as he settled back down in his chair again.

"The food will be out in just a minute," Shawn, Sr., informed them, heading back towards the kitchen. "I hope you can all wait patiently."

"I keep telling you people," Andrew called after him. "I'm a growing boy, I need to eat."

"You quit growing ages ago," Jeannie retorted, rolling her eyes.

"Speaking of growing boys," Stephanie spoke up, looking over at Sami. "Where's Will?"

"Oh, Lucas is bringing him," Sami answered, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "They were helping Abby surprise Jenn with breakfast this morning since her morning sickness has finally started to ebb some. It was Lucas' idea."

"That's nice of him," Shawn replied, taking a sip of his drink.

"Yeah," Sami agreed with a dreamy little smile that sort of freaked Shawn out. "He's great."  
Shawn raised an eyebrow at that, but she didn't seem to notice. Rex, however, was a different story, and his cousin gave a small shudder, no doubt at the prospect that Mimi was right and his half-siblings were more than just friends who shared a child together.

"Oh, he is, huh?" Shawn inquired in amusement.

"Does that mean Lucas is coming to lunch?" Rex spoke up, a bit apprehensively.

"Don't worry about it," Sami told him, in an almost motherly fashion. "Lucas knows to play nice, and I think the two of you might get along if you tried. You actually have a lot in common."

"Like what?" Rex asked skeptically.

"Like me," Sami retorted with a shrug.

"And Cassie," Shawn offered innocently, not at all understanding the grimaces that crossed both Sami and Rex's faces. "What? Cassie and Lucas were friends, right?"

"Right," Rex responded tightly.

"Yeah, friends," Sami agreed, and then a snicker escaped her lips and she exchanged a wicked look with Rex, trying not to laugh. "Are we friends, Rex?"

Rex looked like he didn't know whether to laugh or be ill. "Just as long as you never want to be that kind of friends," he said with a shiver.

"No worries," Sami told him, smirking. "You're not my type."

"What are you-" Shawn began, his brow furrowing in confusion.

"Change the subject, please?" Rex demanded, his voice tinged with desperation, so Shawn complied, filing that little tidbit away in his head to ask Rex about later at the loft.

"So, Lucas is coming to a family lunch, hmm?" he inquired, giving Sami a pointed look. "What's that all about?"

Sami actually blushed, which was disturbing because Shawn couldn't remember the last time he'd seen her do that. "Lucas is family, you know that," she replied. "He's Will's father."

"Is that all he is?" Shawn asked.

"No," Sami admitted after a moment, looking down at her plate shyly.

"So you two are together, then?" Andrew inquired curiously. "When did that happen?"

"A few days ago," Sami murmured sheepishly.

"Does Belle know about this?" Shawn asked, startled that he hadn't heard anything about this until now. If his girlfriend had known, he was impressed with her, he didn't think she had the willpower to keep such a juicy piece of gossip to herself.

"She knows," Sami said. "I called her the day after we..." she trailed off, biting her lip, and Andrew grinned knowingly.

"After you what?" he snickered, waggling his eyebrows at her. "Knocked boots? Did the dirty deed?"

"Andrew!" Jeannie scolded her brother with a scowl.

"What?" he asked innocently. "I'm just trying to get the facts straight, that's all."

Shawn glanced over at Rex, who was staring off into the distance with a strange expression, shock and disgust mingling in his eyes. "You okay, man?"

"My brother is having sex with my sister," Rex said slowly, mildly disturbed.

"Now that just sounds incestuous," Andrew laughed, earning a glare from Sami.

"Oh my God," Rex realized, sounding horrified. "We're going to end up on Jerry Springer."

"Hey," Sami protested indignantly, smacking him in the arm. "If we're going on some trashy talk show, it's going to be Ricki Lake, thank you very much."

"Get used to it, man," Andrew told Rex sympathetically. "In this family, you never know what weird twist will affect us all next. It's actually a little traumatic if you let yourself think about just how many people in this town you're technically related to."

"Take Shawn-D for example," Stephanie piped up with a teasing grin, and Shawn grimaced at the much hated nickname his parents had given him when he was younger. "He's cousins with both Sami and Brady, but he's dating Belle. That's got to be a little awkward to explain to people outside of Salem, don't you think?"

Shawn rolled his eyes, having heard all of this many times before, especially from Philip, who loved to ruffle his feathers. It wasn't like Philip had room to talk, though, considering that he was, in fact, Shawn's half-uncle despite being several months younger.

_Our family is so messed up, _Shawn thought with a groan.

"That is a little creepy, man," Rex admitted, giving him a wry glance. "But I suppose it could be worse."

"You mean like if my uncle was going after my girlfriend?" Shawn muttered.

"What was that?" Jeannie inquired.

"Which uncle?" Sami demanded in confusion. "Philip?"

"Who else?" Shawn responded.

"Shawn, you're crazy," Sami snorted. "Philip is not out to steal Belle from you, okay? Maybe he does like her, but he'd never do that to you. You're family, remember?"

"Being family didn't stop Brady from stealing Chloe from Philip, did it?" Shawn retorted.

"That was an entirely different situation," Sami insisted in her stepbrother's defense. "Give Philip the benefit of the doubt here, okay? He wouldn't betray your trust like that, Shawn. And Belle isn't Chloe, she's not the type of girl to be easily stolen away, anyway."

"If I were in her shoes, I wouldn't mind being stolen away by Kiriakis," Jeannie snickered.

"A good looking man in uniform is hard to resist," Stephanie agreed with an appreciative grin.

Groaning, Shawn dropped his head to the table, and Rex clapped him on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it, man," he said reassuringly. "It's not like Belle has ever been attracted to Philip, right?"

Shawn just groaned in response.

"What is it about him that women love so much, anyway?" Rex wondered.

"He's a Kiriakis, it's in his blood," Andrew answered with a shrug.

"It's the uniform," Stephanie insisted slyly.

"Ask Mimi," Sami replied. "She and Belle used to sit around and giggle over how 'totally cute' Philip was."

Rex stiffened in surprise. "Mimi?" he echoed. "My Mimi?"

"Do you know any other girls named Mimi in Salem?"

Rex scowled. "I hate Philip."

"Join the club, man," Shawn said with a sigh. "Join the club."


	31. Chapter 31

**Matters of the Heart**

**Chapter Thirty-One:**

He was running through the dark streets of Salem Place barefoot and naked, the rumbling thunder of a stampede echoing in his ears as he stumbled around a corner, his heart hammering in his chest and the panic only growing.

Risking a glance behind him, he looked over his shoulder, and nearly screamed at the sight before his eyes.

Nicole and Chloe were chasing after him dressed in leingerie, both shrieking about how they needed new shoes and he had to pay for them, a herd of very angry stilettos and pumps at their heels, ready to pummel him if he should so much as trip even once.

No sooner had that thought passed his mind, he stubbed his toe and went down, eliciting cries of triumph from his pursuers that sounded strangely like bells, and he knew it was all over. He was done for, there was nothing to save him now, all he could do was hope that it was quick...

Bolting upright in bed, Brady Black sat there panting for a moment, trying to shake off the nightmare he'd just awoken from, and only then did he realize that his cell phone was ringing. Glancing at the clock on his nightstand, he groaned when he saw that it was only two in the morning, but he reached over and answered the phone anyway.

"Hello?" he said groggily, deciding that it the caller didn't have a good excuse for waking him up, he was going to have to resort to homicide, even if they had saved him from a ridiculously traumatic dream.

"Br-Brady?"

Recognizing his little sister's voice, and hearing the sniffles on the other end of the line, Brady immediately forgot about his annoyance. "Tink? Is that you?" he asked worriedly. "What's wrong?"

There was a noise that he suspected was a stiffled sob, followed by more sniffling.

"Belle?" he prodded, starting to panic. "What happened?"

"Mom..." Belle cried, her voice trembling. "S-she... she tried to... to..."

"To what?" Brady demanded anxiously.

"She tried to kill me!" Belle wailed, bursting into tears, and Brady blinked, stunned, unable to fathom what she'd just told him, much less master the ability to speak.

Marlena try to kill her own daughter? It was ludicrius, the woman was probably one of the most devoted mothers in Salem, although he conceeded to himself that she hadn't always been there for Sami the way she had for Belle, but he supposed that could be chalked up to the distance between her and her eldest child. During those crucial early years of Sami's life, Marlena had been absent and it had been Brady's own father who raised her and her twin brother Eric, creating a divide that time had never fulled allowed to be bridged.

While he'd always thought that it would be for Sami's own good if she tried to work through her issues with her mother, Brady certainly had no intention of ever telling his stepsister that. He'd had his own share of problems with Marlena, most of them borne out of resentment that stemmed from never knowing his real mother, since Isabella Toscano Black had succombed to cancer when he was only six months old, but as he'd gotten older he'd come to realize that Marlena had never been trying to replace his mother, only to do what she could in Isabella's absence, knowing that if their roles had been reversed, and they practically had been considering that Isabella had been the only mother Sami and Eric knew when they were little, she would have wanted the same.

_Because she's a good mother,_ Brady thought affectionately.

Which was why he knew that Belle had to be mistaken, Marlena couldn't have possibly tried to kill her.

And yet... his little sister's sobs were undeniably real.

"What happened?" Brady asked again, trying to keep a level head, even as his throat tightened with anxiety and his pulse started to race. "Are you sure she tried to kill you?"

"Well considering that she was choking me until Daddy walked in and knocked her out, I'd have to say that yes, I'm sure," Belle cried bitterly, and there was no mistaking the lingering fear in her voice, despite the angry bravado of her words.

"She tried to choke you?" Brady echoed incredulously.

"Yes," Belle confirmed miserably. "I've got bruises and everything!"

For a long moment, Brady was speechless, the idea that Marlena could have hurt her own child unfathomable, he knew how much she loved Belle and Sami, how much she loved him, even though he wasn't her child by flesh and blood.

And yet, she had demonstrated some strange behavior over the past few months... ever since returning home from her trip to Colorado to visit Eric...

"What happened after Dad knocked her out?" Brady asked, his voice sounding as hollow as he felt.

"He handcuffed her and called Bo and Hope," Belle answered shakily. "They brought her to the hospital to do some tests... brain scans, I think... I don't really know what... maybe they think she's got a tumor making her crazy or something?"

There was a muffled voice in the background, and Belle said something he couldn't make out.

"Belle, where are you?" Brady demanded.

"The hospital," she replied distractedly. "They're just getting Mom ready for her tests, I think. And Sami just got here, Lucas drove her, so Daddy's trying to calm her down..."

Brady snorted, knowing that was a futile goal. It was hard enough to calm Sami down during normal situations, but it would downright impossible now, given the circumstances, and Brady couldn't blame her for being hysterical. If it wasn't for the fact that his family clearly needed him to keep it together, he'd probably be freaking out, too.

A fuzzy cry met his ears through the phone, and he thought he recognized Sami's voice shouting something, but it was impossible to tell what. Belle, however, heard whatever it was and made a choking sound, her sniffles growing even louder.

"What's going on?" Brady swung his legs over the side of his bed, getting up to head over to his closet in search of clothes so that he could drive over to the hospital and join them.

"They're saying she might be the serial killer, Brady!" Belle whimpered.

"Who's saying that?" Brady asked sharply.

"Shawn's parents and Tek," Belle answered bitterly. "They think she's the one who killed Sami's father and all the others."

Brady froze, one hand touching the hangar holding up his Salem University sweatshirt. "That's not possible, though," he pointed out. "Marlena was inside Tuscany when Sami was attacked. She was with us the whole time."

"I know," Belle said. "I don't understand why they... this is crazy, right? I mean, Mom couldn't be the serial killer... there's just no way. Right?"

"Right," Brady agreed firmly, despite the sinking feeling in his stomach. "Listen, Belle, I'm going to get dressed and come on down there. Tell Dad that I'll be there as soon as I can. And in the mean time, you stick close to him and Sami, okay?"

"Yeah, okay," Belle murmured, hiccuping a little as her tears got the best of her. "Just hurry, Brady, I... we need you."

"I'm on my way," Brady promised.

"I love you."

"Love you, too, Tink."

With a heavy sigh, Brady hung up the phone and leaned against his closet door, closing his eyes for a moment as the reality of it all sunk in. Marlena had attacked Belle, Bo thought she could be the serial killer... but how could that possibly be true when she'd been in Tuscany with them when Sami was stabbed? It was crazy, there was no way that Marlena could have done it, unless she could be in two places at once, and even then Brady had his doubts, because the very idea that Marlena could try and murder Sami was insane.

But if she was the killer... then that meant that she had already tried to kill Sami once before, that night when she was attacked behind Salem Place. And it would mean that she had killed Abe, Jack, Maggie, Caroline, Cassie, Roman and Tony, all of them in cold blood.

_At least we know Eric wasn't a victim,_ he thought, wincing at the way that sounded, as if he actually believed that Marlena was the killer. Still, it was reassuring to know that Sami had spoken to her twin recently, just after Roman's funeral, a funeral which neither Eric nor Carrie had attended, much to Brady's chagrin. If it had been his father, nothing could have kept him away, especially not when he had sisters who needed him.

Shaking off his reverie, he grabbed his sweatshirt and a pair of jeans, hurriedly getting dressed before pocketing his keys off of his dresser and then looking around for his sneakers.

_Must have left them downstairs,_ he realized, slipping out of his bedroom and starting down the hall. He'd gone out for a run the evening before, mostly just to get away from Nicole, who hadn't been doing anything, really, but her presence in the living room as he watched the news with his grandfather had been distracting nonetheless.

Not that he would ever admit that to her, though, it would just encourage her. And with Chloe on his case about all the time he was spending with his stepgrandmother, the last thing he wanted was more attention from Nicole. Still, he couldn't help thinking Chloe was overreacting a bit, after all, he and Nicole did live under the same roof, it was only logical that they ended up spending some time together, right?

As he rushed down the stairs into the foyer, Brady spotted his shoes against the wall, neatly placed just against the side of the staircase, no doubt by Henderson, but as he sat down on the bottom step, he heard footsteps on the floor above him, and a moment later his grandfather appeared at the top of the stairs, Nicole just behind him and tying her robe around her waist.

"Brady?" Victor asked groggily, peering down at him with bleary eyes. "What are you doing up so early?"

"I didn't mean to wake you," Brady apologized, sliding on his left shoe. "Belle just called me. Marlena's been arrested," Brady answered quickly, as he hurried slipped one shoe on and began to tie the laces. "She attacked Belle, so they took her to the hospital to do some brain scans."

"Oh my God," Nicole cried incredulously. "They don't think she's the killer, do they?"

"I don't know," Brady replied grimly, lacing up the other shoe. "That's why I'm going down there. Dad's there with Belle and Sami, they're all really freaked out, I need to be there with them."

"Of course," Victor agreed, nodding with a troubled look on his face. "Nicole and I will get dressed, then come and meet you down at the hospital. Is there anything we can bring? Anything your father or sister needs?"

Absently, Brady was aware that Victor had said 'sister', as in singular, not plural, but he didn't have time to correct his grandfather on the fact that he had two sisters, Belle and Sami. Right now he had more important things to worry about, like getting down to the hospital and figuring out what the hell was going on.

"If you could grab some coffee on the way up, that'd be great," he said, grabbing his keys off of the table. "I've got to go."

"Drive carefully, Brady," Nicole called after him. "The roads are still slick!"

"I'll be fine," Brady assured her, flashing them a weak smile as he slipped out the door into the cold winter night, digging his keys out of his pocket and starting towards his car.

Whether or not he would still be fine by the time this night was over, though, was anyone's guess.


	32. Chapter 32

**Matters of the Heart**

**Chapter Thirty-Two:**

Touching a hand to her throat, Belle Black winced, feeling tears stinging her eyes all over again at the painful reminder of what had brought them here tonight.

It had been the single most frightening moment of her entire life, when her own mother suddenly turned on her, cold hands trying to choke the life out her body with merciless determination, seemingly oblivious to Belle's gasps or the way she had frantically clawed at her mother's hands in desperation as her air supply was slowly cut off.

_If Daddy had come in just a few seconds later... _she thought with a shudder.

"Are you okay, baby?"

Glancing over at Shawn, who sat beside her, holding her hand protectively, Belle nodded mechanically, even though she was far from 'okay'.

"I'm going to grab some coffee, do you want any?" Shawn asked her, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

Belle shook her head wordlessly.

"I'll be right back then."

Instead of watching him cross the lobby, Belle turned her attention towards her father, who was approaching with an arm around Sami, and her older sister looked like Belle felt- as if this whole horrible nightmare was going to make her faint at any moment.

"How are you feeling, Isabella?" John asked, easing Sami down into the chair next to her and then eyeing his youngest daughter with concerned dark eyes. "Do you need more ice for your throat?"

"No," Belle assured him weakly, gesturing to the ice-pack lying on the empty seat Shawn had vacated. "I just took it off for a bit because it's so cold."

John nodded in understanding, a grim set to his handsome features. "Don't keep it off for too long, though, okay?"

"I won't, Daddy," Belle promised.

"John?" Bo called from the other side of the room, looking up from the notepad he, Hope and Tek were scouring. "If you'd come over here when you have a minute?"

"Sure thing," John replied with a nod, then turned back to his daughters. "I'll be right back, okay?"

"Okay," Sami said hoarsely, giving him a weak smile, her cheeks stained with tear-tracks. Once he was gone, she gave Belle her full attention. "How's your throat feeling, sweetie?"

"It doesn't hurt as much anymore," Belle answered truthfully, though her throat was probably the only thing that wasn't aching at the moment. Her heart felt so heavy that she half-expected it to drop to her feet at any moment. "Lexie said that bruises would probably fade in a few days."

Sami nodded absently, reaching out to touch her little sister's hair, her eyes swimming with tears. "I'm so sorry, baby," she said thickly, her voice cracking with emotion. "I should have been there, I should have been able to protect you..."

"How could you have known?" Belle rasped. "I didn't see it, Daddy didn't see it. We don't even know what it was that made her..." she trailed off, unable to say the words. "That set her... we don't know what's wrong with Mom, Sami."

"I should have known something was wrong with her," Sami insisted, shaking her head and sniffling. "She wasn't herself sometimes lately, and I just brushed it off. I thought it was because of all the murders, but not because she might have been the one committing them!"

"We don't know it was her," Belle pointed out, but the tears that slid down her cheeks did little to support her claim. "It can't be Mom, Sami, it just can't be. There has to be some kind of explanation, because she would never kill anyone, right?"

"I- I don't know, baby," Sami choked out, stroking her hair with trembling hands. "I just don't know. I..."

Feeling what little composure she'd been desperately trying to keep come crashing down, Belle flung herself into her sister's arms, sobbing, and she felt Sami's shoulders shaking as her sister wrapped her in a fierce embrace, their golden hair falling together to form a veil around their faces as they cried.

* * *

_"So I was thinking that I'd run my sketches for the fall line by Sami and see what she thinks, because she's got an eye for that sort of thing, you know," Belle babbled on excitedly. "Then I'd... Mom? Mom, are you listening to me?" _

_"Hmm?" Marlena asked absently. "Oh, yes, go ahead, darling." _

_"So I was saying, Sami's got a real eye for that sort of thing, and now that Daddy gave her that promotion, her office is just down the hall from mine, so I can..." Belle trailed off with a frown, eyeing her mother's trancelike expression with a frown. "Mom? Are you okay?" _

_"Shhh, darling," Marlena sighed contentedly, her eyes oddly bright. "Mommy's here." _

_Startled, and more than a little unnerved by her mother's strange behavior, Belle was about to ask if Marlena wanted to sit down, because maybe she was feverish or something, when Marlena suddenly lunged for her, her perfectly manicured hands enveloping her by the throat as tightly as possible. _

_Gasping for air, Belle desperately flailed her arms, hitting and scratching at Marlena frantically, her lungs screaming for air, but her mother didn't seem to notice. Marlena was staring back down at her with cold, empty eyes, her grip on Belle's throat only tightening, until she felt her larynx begin to crush under those merciless hands. _

_Her knees buckled and she fell, the world blurring and sliding out of focus, but not before she heard the door burst open and her father shouting... there was a commotion, a struggle, and then her mother's hands were torn from around her throat, and Belle collapsed, gasping madly. _

_"Belle? Isabella? Oh God, baby, are you okay?" _

_At the sound of her father's panicked voice, and the feel of his arms around her, Belle realized it was over, that she was safe, and promptly fainted.

* * *

_

"Sami, I'm so scared," Belle confessed, gasping for air between choked sobs.

"Me, too, baby," Sami whispered, pressing her lips to Belle's hair. "Me, too."

Someone cleared their throat, and the sisters looked up to find Lucas standing over them, two styrofoam cups in hand. "I thought some hot chocolate might do you both some good," he explained, crouching down to offer them the drinks.

"Thank you, Lucas," Sami said softly, and Belle couldn't help smiling faintly at the way their fingers brushed longer than necessary as Sami took her cup from Lucas.

"Yeah, thanks," Belle added, taking a small sip of her own hot chocolate. "That was very sweet of you, Lucas."

"I'm a sweet kind of guy," he retorted with a wink.

Despite herself, Belle chuckled, unable to argue with that. Sami looked like she might very well have done just that, though, all in play, of course, had the sound of someone skidding into the room not diverted her attention.

"Brady," she said in surprise.

Sure enough, there was Belle's older brother, dressed in a Salem University sweatshirt and jeans, his eyes still a bit bleary and his hair rumpled from sleep, but he was wide awake as his gaze swept across the lobby in a frenzy before falling on them.

"Belle, Sami," he cried, rushing over and embracing them both at once, then examining Belle's throat with eager, nimble fingers. "My God, Tink..."

"It's not that bad," Belle insisted, lowering her eyes.

The look on Brady's face said that he didn't believe her, but he let it go. "Thanks for driving Sami over, Lucas," he said to the older man, earning a nod of acknowledgment in return. "Granddad and Nicole should be here soon, they were getting dressed when I left the mansion."

"Nicole's coming here?" Lucas asked with a grimace. "I'm going to need something stronger than hot chocolate."

"Won't we all?" Sami retorted weakly.

Brady rolled his eyes, taking Shawn's empty chair as his own and looking around the lobby. "Is Dad just now over there giving Bo his statement?"

"I think they're just going over it again," Sami said, sipping her drink. "To see if anything jumps out at them."

"Did the police interview you yet, Tink?" Brady asked.

"Yeah," Belle answered, nodding absently. "They kept asking me pointless things, like if there was anything out of place in the penthouse."

"They're trying to see if you can remember anything strange," Sami explained quietly. "Because sometimes you notice the tiniest details that you don't even realize mean anything. That's why they're asking you about the penthouse, they want to see if maybe there's been something different or odd about Mom's behavior before this."

"Did they ask you questions like that?" Belle asked softly. "After your attack?"

Sami kept her gaze pointedly trained at nothing. "Yes," she replied quietly, and Belle knew that they were all thinking the same thing, that if Marlena was capable of trying to choke one daughter to death, was she capable of stabbing the other?

* * *

_"That's impossible," John snapped. "There's no way my wife is the serial killer!" _

_"She doesn't have an alibi for any of the murders, John," Bo argued. "And she just tried to kill your daughter! You saw it with your own two eyes, dammit!" _

_"Marlena was in Colorado when Abe was shot, and she was inside the church when Sami was stabbed," John insisted heatedly. "Half the town can attest to that, you included. So if she's the killer, then how do you explain that!" _

_"I don't know," Bo shouted angrily. "All I know is that my mother is dead, my brother is dead, and right now your wife is the prime suspect! Wake up, John, she nearly choked the life out of Belle! She tried to stab you with a letter opener during the struggle after you pulled her off of Belle, for God's sake!" _

_"Bo, John, let's be reasonable about this," Hope pleaded, desperately placing herself between the two men. "I know it looks bad, but we can't jump to conclusions. We need to be patient, once we get Marlena to the hospital, we'll get some tests done, and maybe we'll have some answers. Until then, this has to stop!" _

_"She's right," Bo sighed, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "I'm sorry. But you have to admit, John, it doesn't look good for Marlena right now. Are you really that sure that she can't be the killer?" _

_"No," John confessed softly, turning to look out the window at the night sky. "I wish I was..."  
_

_From her vantage point on the stairs, Belle looked away, burying her face in Shawn's shoulder, and he swallowed hard, just as stunned by what they'd heard as she was. "It'll be okay," he assured her weakly. _

_But neither of them believed it. _

* * *

"Do we know anything yet?" Brady asked wearily.

"We're still waiting on Lexie to come out with the test results," Lucas replied grimly.

"What's taking so long anyway?" Sami grumbled darkly. "They've had Mom back there for hours practically."

"These things take time, Sami," Lucas pointed out gently, rubbing her back soothingly. "I'm sure Lexie is working as fast as she can. Everyone wants to get to the bottom of this as quickly as possible."

As if on cue, the double doors leading to the room where Marlena's tests were being administered suddenly opened, and everyone rose to their feet in unison as Lexie Carver stepped out, tugging her latex gloves off with a heavy sigh.

"Well?" John asked worriedly, arching an eyebrow. "How is she?"

"We did several different blood tests and brain scans," Lexie announced wearily. "They all came back negative."

"That's good, right?" Shawn asked, returning with a cup of coffee in hand.

"From a certain point of view, yes," Bo conceded grimly. "But that doesn't explain why Marlena attacked Belle."

"She didn't," Lexie said darkly, and everyone looked at her in disbelief.

Belle felt tears welling in her eyes, and she was about to demand how Lexie could say such a thing, but Sami put a hand on her arm, silently telling her to wait and let Lexie explain. Besides, others were already coming to her defense on their own.

"What are you talking about? Of course she attacked Belle," Shawn said testily. "She has the bruises to prove it, and John witnessed it happening!"

"I'm not saying that the woman in that examination room didn't attack Belle," Lexie retorted, a troubled look on her face.

"What are you saying then, Lexie?" Bo demanded, voicing the question they all wanted to know.

"I'm saying that the woman in that examination room is not Marlena Evans."

For the second time that night, Belle fainted.


End file.
